Kicking Buckets
by Allison Elder
Summary: Harry. Ron. She managed not to think of them most of the time now, but it was still there...an ache deep in the back of her heart. She wanted so desperately to be back in her own time...curled up in bed with the two of them reading stories.
1. Prologue: Diving into Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I would not be posting little ficlets on a fanfiction site if I did. Do not pester me about this again. Anything that you recognize is most likely Ms. Rowling's. Anything you do not recognize is more probably mine. Good Day.**

**_Okay...I think I've FINALLY found the right bloody document to upload! Oi. Kicking Buckets is, as many of you have already learned, a Hermione-Sirius Time-Turner story. Bear with me, those of you who read the copy that showed you EVERYTHING that I had done...I'm going to post approximately one chapter a week from here on out, even though as you know they're already finished. This gives me the time to work on finishing up the story so that I'm not leaving you guys hanging at the end. Enjoy._**

_**Allison**_

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Prologue**

"**Sirius Black!**" A woman's shriek rang throughout the entirity of Grimmauld Place. "**JUST WHAT ON _EARTH_ WERE YOU THINKING, SCARING US ALL LIKE THAT!"**

A large black dog bounded into the kitchen, scaring the four occupants who were sitting there having tea, listening in surprise to Molly Weasley's scream. Ginny Weasley gave a soft cry and ran to hug the dog that rapidly assumed his human form and hugged her back. Ron, her older brother, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger all jumped up and raced to him.

"What happened!" Harry asked. "I saw you die!"

Sirius' smile held no warmth at the memory. "You saw me fall. You did not see me die. By the time I woke up and crawled out from behind the veil...well, you know how it is." He said, softly. His eyes trailed to Hermione, and as he took a better look, he went white, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"R-Remus!" Sirius shouted. "**SEVERUS**!" The two men in question burst in moments later, wondering where the Death Eater was. "S-s-she l-looks like..." He broke off, unable to go farther.

"Who? I look like who?" Hermione asked, frowning and looking down at herself. As far as she knew, she was just her...just Hermione. Sure...she'd changed...filling out over the summer and managing to tame her hair...but she was still just Hermione! Okay, so maybe there was a tattoo on her ankle and several piercings...but still!

Severus Snape looked at Hermione long and hard before he sat down heavily in a chair. "Maya..." He muttered.

Remus himself was used to her looks, and he simply helped Sirius into his own chair and stood behind the two men for support. "Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny..." The four teenagers, three in their last summer before graduation and one entering her sixth year, turned to find Albus Dumbledore standing there, his eyes twinkling pleasantly. "Would you please go and check on Buckbeak?"

"Yes Professor..." They mumbled, hurrying out of the room.

"Wonder what that was about..." Harry murmured to Ron, as they began to walk up the stairs. It wasn't until they heard Hermione scream that they turned around, watching in slow motion as she fell down the steps. A small gold chain fell out of her shirt, there was the sound of glass shattering, and then Hermione looked up at them, reaching for them as she disappeared.

"Hermione!" Ginny gasped, running back down the stairs with Ron and Harry on her tail.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Sirius, you cannot stop things from proceeding as they must." Dumbledore said, the twinkle gone from his eyes now as he watched the animagus stare blankly at the butterbeer in his hand. "It is your past, therefore it cannot be changed...no matter how much you wish it to be."

A broken laugh that was mixed with a sob tore loose from the man's throat. "That night...the night of the raid..." His tears broke loose. "When she told me that one of us was a traitor...when she tried to warn me about Pettigrew..." He closed his eyes. "She promised me that she'd marry me...that when I returned, she'd be waiting to welcome me."

Severus reached forward and rested his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Sirius...we could not have stopped her. She had to do it. You know it was the only way." He stiffened, awkwardly, as the other, slightly younger, man threw himself into Severus' arms, sobbing against his shoulder. Just as Sirius began to contain himself, Harry, Ron, and Ginny burst into the room.

"Professor Dumbledore!" They shouted in unison. "Hermione's gone!"

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Hermione moaned softly and opened her eyes, looking around at the familiar curtains and beds. "The Hospital Wing? But how...?" She looked up as Albus Dumbledore walked into the room. "Professor Dumbledore! Harry and Ron...I..." She was cut off as he held up a hand.

"Perhaps, we should start at the beginning, Miss...er..."

Hermione, who'd begun to think clearly, reached into her robes and pulled forth...an empty chain. She moaned and fell backwards. "Oh no..." She turned to the headmaster. "Professor, what year is it?"

"1985...of course." Dumbledore said. "My dear, is there something I should know?" He watched as she groaned again and beat her head, cursing every deity he'd ever heard of...and some that he hadn't.

"Professor...I'm from the year 2006."

"Oh dear..." Dumbledore said. "What's your name?"

"Um..." Hermione paused, weighing the consequences of her words. Sirius' face flashed through her mind and she bristled. He knew. He knew where she was...but after thinking of it for a moment, she relaxed. He would help her...she knew it. "Maya Gurgeon." She replied, making up a name on the spot.

"Am I correct in assuming that that isn't your true name, Miss Gurgeon?" Dumbledore asked, but his question was met with hooded eyes and a vague smile. "Right then..." He looked down at the Head Girl badge pinned to her robes, taking in her Gryffindor robes next. "Well...you seem to know your way around Hogwarts..." He paused, and the twinkle came back to his eyes. "Perhaps you were orphaned over the summer, and came to live here at Hogwarts to escape Voldemort? I'm afraid you cannot have your Head Girl Position, since the spot is already taken...but...perhaps a seventh year prefect position?"

"That would be acceptable." Hermione said, softly...the gravity of the situation was beginning to creep up on her, and she felt as if her insides were being torn apart.

"Good, good...Now, am I correct in assuming that you have no belongings here?" When Hermione nodded, he smiled gently. "Professors McGonagall and Evenstar will take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Don't worry about the money..." he continued as she started to speak. "It will all be taken care of...Minerva McGonagall and Richelle Evenstar have already **both** agreed to be your guardians until we find out just what to do with you. We won't bother with another sorting...as you already seem to be quite comfortable in Gryffindor, but do let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Hermione sighed, straightening her shoulders and taking a long, deep breath. "Okay. And...Professor...Thanks."

Dumbledore smiled gently. "My dear...it is the small kindnesses that we must treasure...for we never know when we ourselves will need them."

Hermione smiled gratefully and lay back in bed to drift off to sleep.

"Albus?" Minerva McGonagall and her rival, Potions Mistress Richelle Evenstar, stepped forward. "Is she...?"

"Rather tired and very unsettled, but otherwise fine, Minerva." Albus said, softly. "She is from a time twenty years in the future...so it is difficult. However, I feel confident that she will be okay. She seems strong."

"Indeed." Richelle said, before taking a deep breath. "Headmaster...the students in my House grow restless...I fear that they may join this new Dark Lord...Voldemort."

"Mmm...continue to watch them. Discreetly. Convince any that you can not to." Dumbledore said, all twinkling gone.

"Of course, Headmaster."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Hermione bit her lower lip as she looked through the window of a Quidditch shop, staring at the new Nimbus 1001 and thinking of Harry and Ron. She smiled, closing her eyes against tears.

"She's a beaut, ain't she." Hermione whirled around to face the boy standing behind her and her breath caught. Harry! No...on a closer look, she could see that his eyes were chocolate-colored...like her own...and not green.

"Hm?" She said, realizing that he was waiting for an answer. "Oh...yeah..." She looked back at the broom. She had enough for it...and she missed Harry and Ron...even their Quidditch conversations...so much! She sighed and shook her head.

"I'm James, by the way. James Potter." She looked back at the Harry look-alike. Well of course he was James. "And You are?"

Oh, so that's what he wanted. She took his outstretched hand. "Maya...Maya Gurgeon. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine..." James purred. Oh yuck. She was going to be sick...he reminded her too much of Harry...who was as good as a brother to her.

"One would think, Potter, that when you're trying to woo one girl, you'll leave others the hell alone." Came an icy feminine voice from behind James. Hermione and James both turned and looked over at the fiery redhead with blazing emerald eyes walking towards them. "So typically you. Moronic and pointless."

"Aw, Evans, you say it but you don't mean it." James smiled. "How about catching a butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron with me?"

"Only in your wildest dreams, Potter." Lily Evans said, walking up and turning her back to James, holding her hand out to Hermione. "Lily Evans."

"Maya Gurgeon." Hermione replied, automatically, as she shook hands with her best friend's mother.

"Oh, believe me, my dreams with you in them are **very, VERY** wild." James said, his voice lower than normal, meant to touch things low in girls' stomachs and make them squirm. Lily just closed her eyes and opened them again.

"You're new...I haven't seen you around." She continued, talking to Hermione.

"Transfer Student from Durmstrang. My parents were killed over the summer, so I stayed at Hogwarts for the remainder of the Holiday with my guardians, Richelle Evenstar and Minerva McGonagall. We're here shopping now." Hermione spouted off as if it was an old story. In truth, she'd just come up with it off of the top of her head. "Had to run out on all of my stuff...when they came." She said.

"Ah." Lily nodded. "Well...would you like company? I could show you the best shops for books and stuff."

Hermione could practically feel James roll his eyes. "That would be great, actually!" She smiled and walked off with Lily.

"I'd advise that you stay away from the Marauders...they're not always the best people to be caught around." Lily said.

"Pranksters, huh?"

"Something like that." Lily said. "Have you already been sorted?"

"Yes...I'm in Gryffindor."

"Okay." Their gazes were drawn to a billboard posted. Lily snickered. "So they finally managed to do it."

"What?" Hermione asked, curious.

"The four Mauraders have a band, see. So do some of the Slytherins. They've wanted a battle of the bands since I explained the concept to Remus...but until now, Dumbledore has never agreed." Lily said. "A battle of the bands is..." She began to explain.

Hermione held up a hand. "I know." She studied the poster for a moment before glancing at her new friend. "You play or sing?"

"What, you think we'll actually be able to join? The Marauders will never let a mere _girl_ into their band, believe you me. You're better off just letting it go." Lily said.

"Well...you said yourself. There were other bands." Hermione grinned as Lily's jaw dropped. "Come on, let's go ask James."

"Please, you think he'll give a shit?"

"We'll see." Hermione said. She waved to James, who was talking to three other boys...one with soft, thin brown hair and a tired look on his face, one with shoulder length black hair and laughing brown eyes, and a short pudgy one that looked like the rat he was. Hermione fought not to curse him on sight, remembering that she couldn't change the past. "Hey James!"

"What do you want, Gurgeon?" James asked, turning. Hermione frowned.

"Don't call me that."

"Hey Prongs, who's this hottie?" The other black-haired boy asked.

"Her name is..."

"Maya Gurgeon." Hermione cut in.

"Maya...Gurgeon..." James echoed. "Right...anyway, back to my original question." He continued. "What do you want?"

Hermione gave him a dark, calculating look before she said. "I want to be in your band."

"What?" The man that Hermione assumed must be Sirius asked.

"You're kidding." James said, looking back at the other three before chuckling and turning to her. "Darlin' I'd love to have you in the band, don't take it personally...it's just that the band is called the Marauders. If you're not a Marauder, you can't be in the band. Savvy?"

"And here I thought you were strictly Liberal, Potty." Hermione heard a familiar drawl behind her. She stiffened. It was the drawl that had called her Mudblood for years.

"Malfoy..." She whispered, spinning. What was he doing h...! Oh. She eyed the tall blonde boy in front of her for several long moments before arching one eyebrow. He was definitely Lucius...he looked a lot like Draco, but his hair was longer, pulled back into a tasteful ponytail...and there was no mistaking the smug, superior look that Draco Malfoy had yet to inherit so perfectly.

"Sod off, Malfoy." James said.

"What's the matter, Potty? Tired of consorting with Mudbloods?" Lucius ran his eyes up and down Lily's form in a very violating gaze. Lily gritted her teeth, but said nothing. Hermione herself arched one eyebrow and unconsciously reached for her wand...consequently drawing Lucius' attention to her. "Well, well...what do we have here?" He said.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Hermione said, her eyes on him with a bored, glazed over look in them.

"My name is Lucius Malfoy..."

"King of Slytherins and God's gift to women. We know, Malfoy." Sirius spoke up. "Doesn't that superior smirk ever get old?"

"Doesn't your incessant stupidity, Black?" Lucius shot back.

"Ooh. How it hurts." Sirius grabbed his chest and pretended to fall over dead. James and Pudge laughed. Peter, really, Hermione supposed. But she thought of him more as Pudge. Or Poodoo. Or Shit. Whichever. Remus, for he had to be Remus, just rolled his eyes and sighed, exchanging a glance with Lily.

"Our good friend Maya here..." James put an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Was just talking to us about a rather foolish matter. Weren't you, Gurgeon?"

"I really don't know where you get your information, Potter." Hermione shrugged his arm off. "But last time I checked, the only foolish matter around here was that which makes up the four of you." She pretended not to notice Remus' surprise or Sirius' hurt look.

Lucius grinned. "Gurgeon, you're all right. If you ever need a favor, come on down to the Dungeons." He turned and walked off. Well...actually...sauntered was a better word. He sauntered off.

Hermione ignored the icy looks that the Marauders were giving her as she turned back to Lily. "Come on, let's go finish shopping."

James grabbed her arm. "Wait a sec, Gurgeon...**we** dismiss **you**. Not the other way around." Hermione turned and looked at him. "What was that all about anyway?"

Hermione looked at him. "**That** was about not being a prick to everyone I meet." She let her eyes show what she thought of his behavior. "Good Day." She turned and walked off with Lily, leaving the four Marauders quite stunned.


	2. Chapter 1: Moving on

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I would not be posting little ficlets on a fanfiction site if I did. Do not pester me about this again. Anything that you recognize is most likely Ms. Rowling's. Anything you do not recognize is more probably mine. Also, in this chapter and in future chapters, I begin to use songs from various popular or not so popular artists. I do not own these songs. I do not make money from these songs. They are songs that I feel fit, and that I enjoy listening to. If you do not like them, skip over them.**

_**I apologize to those of you who have already read this. It was not meant to come out yet...since I already posted it and all that, I wanted to post this up in a formal apology. There are, as you know, about five chapters now. I'm still working on the latest chapter...posting it was a major accident. I just hope I've managed to rectify the situation before the story was ruint for too many of you.**_

_**Yours,**_

**_Allison_**

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Chapter One**

"We didn't know just how powerful Maya was, then." Sirius said, softly, staring out a window as he, Severus, and Remus clung to each other for support as they waited for the woman that they had all grown to love to return.

"No, we didn't." Severus agreed. "It was your bad luck that you Marauders always ended up on her bad side. She was really quite wonderful, even then."

"We weren't **always** on her bad side." Remus pointed out. "Everything changed, come Christmas."

"What changed?" Harry, Ron, and Ginny walked into the room.

Sirius looked at them before smiling coldly. "The fact that Maya Gurgeon hated us from only five minutes after she met us." He paused and looked up at the ceiling.

"Who?" Ginny looked confused. Sirius had already zoned out, however, so it was Remus who answered.

"Maya Gurgeon. Hermione's alias while she was attending her seventh year with us."

"Do tell." Ron said, sitting down. Harry and Ginny followed Suit. Severus and Remus looked at each other, and then Sirius, before turning and beginning to talk.

"Our first days didn't go well." Remus said. "Maya...or Hermione...was cold and distant. Lily was the only one she'd talk to for weeks. When she finally did talk to us, it was to argue..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Maya, as much as I'd like to agree with you...don't you think that you should calm down before you go retrieve your..." Lily sighed and trailed off as she followed Hermione across the common room. "Book."

"JAMES HAROLD POTTER!" Hermione shrieked in a voice much like she would say Harold James Potter in her own time.

James looked up. "You rang, Gurgeon?" His eyes widened in the next second, however, as the tip of her wand was pressed into his throat.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU! **_DON'T CALL ME GURGEON!_**" She shrieked.

"S-sorry. You rang, Maya?" He recovered quickly, using his play-boy voice once more.

"YOU. HAVE. MY. BOOK!"

"I-I do?"

"Yeah, you remember, Prongs." Pudge said, completely oblivious to the fact that he was about to get his best friend in deep shit. "The one that says 'Maya Gurgeon' on the cover and has all of her deepest, most innermost thoughts and secrets in it? That you were reading aloud last night?"

**_"YOU DID WHAT!"_** Hermione pulled back her arm and balled a fist before she could think twice, punching James in the nose as hard as she could. **_"HOLD IT!"_**

The other three Marauders froze where they were trying to sneak off. "Y-Yes, Maya?" Sirius managed.

"Give it." She held out her left hand.

"Give what?" Sirius almost managed to look innocent. He flinched when she balled her fist again, and hurriedly handed her the leather-bound journal that she'd bought in Diagon Alley. "Here!"

"Thank you." Hermione shoved it into her bookbag hurriedly and put up her wand. "Now...about that part in the Band..."

"WHAT!" Peter squealed. "Of course, you..."

"I wasn't talking to you, Pudge." Hermione sneered, reaching for her wand. Peter squealed and hid behind Remus and Sirius.

"You think we'd give **_you_** a part in our band after threatening us? You on crack or something, Gurgeon?" James spat in disbelief. "Go shag a Death Eater."

Hermione turned white, and then red, so fast that she almost looked like a candy cane. Her wand moved so quickly and her voice shrieked out so many spells, one after another, that the entire common room turned into a light show. When she turned away, the boys were all sporting various hexes and jinxes...and Peter had even turned into a toad.

"Maya...shouldn't you..." Lily began, but Hermione stormed up the stairs back to the dorm without another word. Lily looked at the Marauders and sighed, undoing Hermione's work.

"Aww, Evans..." James' voice was smoothe and perfect. "You DO care!" For the second time within five minutes, the common room turned into a light show...but this time nobody was around to undo the work of the angry witch that flounced up the stairs to the Girls' dormitories in a huff.

**lalalalalala** **October** ** lalalalalalala**

"Maya!" Lily ran into the women's dorm where Hermione was studying and plopped down a paper. "Look!" She said. "The Slytherins are holding auditions for singers in their band!"

Hermione looked at the paper and thought to all of the practice that she and Lily had put in since September first. She grinned. "Let's go for it."

Lilly stopped, her smile falling away. "You can't be serious."

"Of course not. That's Black's name."

"Maya! This isn't the time to joke! You **KNOW** that Snape and Malfoy will never let us join!" Lily said, frowning.

"Ah...but what else are black hooded cloaks for?" Hermione pointed out. "Trust me on this, Lils. And just let me do the talking...they know your voice better."

"Man..." Lily moaned. "I just meant to sit here snickering about who would get the part...now you're conning me into actually auditioning! This is almost as bad as the animagus scheme that you worked out last month!"

"That went off without a hitch." Hermione reminded.

"Yes, but what about the whole Pranking the best Pranksters in this school in a century thing?"

"That was perfect and you know it. The Marauders didn't know what hit them." Hermione pointed out.

"What about the joining the Marauders' band scheme that you had before that?"

"Okay, so that wasn't the greatest plan...maybe I should have waited instead of asking right away after I'd met James...or right away after I'd punched James...or right away after I'd just told James that I thought a worm would be a better fuck than he would be...or right after I told James that I'd rather eat flobberworms than touch him with a thirty foot pole...but I promise this time it'll be better. Just remember how we practiced and everything will be fine!"

"Why do I let you talk me into this stuff, Maya!" The head girl groaned. "You're worse than Potter asking me out."

"Maybe he should take a leaf from my book, then." Hermione grinned.

"Hah. Hah. Hah. I'm laughing. Really."

"Just go get your cloak and come on." Hermione stood. "We don't want anyone else to get the part before we do."

"Yeah...right..." Lily walked to her bed to find her cloak, muttering something about 'Damned exchange students and their strange ideas.'

"Oh you love my ideas. Face it. Now, come on." Hermione put her own cloak on, pulling the hood up, and hurried down out of the common room towards the dungeons, pulling Lily along behind her.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Damn it, Lucius! Nobody worth their salt is going to audition!" Severus Snape hissed, glaring at the line of people outside of the Slytherin Common Room.

"Nonsense, Severus my dear friend. In fact, I think I see several people who will do well..."

"But not well enough to beat those damned Marauders!" Severus growled.

"Excuse me..." The voice was slightly familiar, but neither man could place it...and all they could see of the two cloaked figures in front of them was below their nose down to their necks. The rest was covered either by cloak or shadow. "Maybe we could help."

"I doubt it..." Severus muttered, not-so-quietly.

Lucius gave him a look before arching an eyebrow. "Alright...let's see what you can do." He allowed them inside before closing the door and turning to the two mystery singers. They looked at each other before one of them waved a wand at the instruments off to the side, muttering under her breath...and then they began. By the time they were finished, Lucius was staring at them in open, if not cold and calculated, amazement, and Severus was having a bit of difficulty shutting his mouth.

"Perfect." Lucius said. "What's the catch?" The girls looked at each other again before pulling off the cloaks. Lucius and Severus both started. Mudblood Evans and her metaphorical twin, Maya Gurgeon. "I had to ask." Lucius moaned softly into the hand that he slid down his face.

"No Mudbloods." Severus sneered.

"Oh please..." Gurgeon said. "Do you really think you can beat the Marauders with anyone else that showed up to audition? I don't. But...really, I suppose that your opinions are the only ones that matter when it comes to this."

"Right." Evans said. "When they kick your asses for having some mediocre witches or wizards as your singers, remind me to send you a sympathy letter..." They turned to go.

"Wait!" Lucius said.

"Lucius, you can't be serious!"

"Actually, I think that's Black's name." Gurgeon piped up, making Lucius grin.

"I'm perfectly serious, Severus..."

"Oh great..." They heard Evans mutter. "Now there are TWO of them. One Sirius Black is PLENTY!"

"Damn." Gurgeon agreed.

Lucius shot them both grins before continuing. "Severus, think on it. What better way to kick their asses and make a big show of it than to kick their asses because they were too stupid to pick up these two before we did?"

Severus studied the two women, intently, before smirking slowly. "Indeed...what better way to humiliate them than to beat them because the two most talented singers in the school came to our band because they were rejected for being **female**."

"Now you're starting to see." Lucius smirked. He looked at the two women. "Welcome to the band. Now for a name."

"That's easy." Severus said. Gurgeon and Evans paused in the act of giving each other high fives to turn and look at him, and Lucius arched a sceptical eyebrow. "Snake's Halo" He said, sarcastically.

Maya and Lily looked at each other, and then Malfoy, who nodded. All three turned to Snape at the same time, and said in unison. "I like it."

Snape's jaw dropped and he stared at the three of them in shock. "I was being sarcastic."

"Yes, well, in your pointless sarcasm, you seem to have come up with the perfect name." Maya said.

"Sure, Gurgeon, sure. Just...don't touch me." He replied.

"Don't call me that." She said, angrily. "My name is Maya."

"And mine is not Mudblood." Lily said. "It's Lily."

"Of course." Malfoy said. "And we are officially Lucius and Severus to the two of you. So...what did you think of Professor Evenstar's last class?" He asked.

"Her theory on time travel seemed very interesting." Lily said. "That no matter what you do in time, you're meant to do it."

"Well, when you think about it, it makes sense." Maya pointed out. "If you go back in time, then you're not really changing history. You're PART of that history. There is no way to mess with the balance of things, because you're part of that balance...be there two yous or not."

"She has a point." Lucius began, but Severus cut him off.

"Ridiculous. Are you telling me that you could go back in time, and become a part of your own past, even though you're in the present, and be a written part of that history?"

"In a sense, yes." Maya said. "There are lines that cannot be crossed, yes, but say I went back in time to a moment that I heard a twig snap behind me...and at that precise moment in my reliving of this time, I snapped a twig and barely avoided letting myself see me..."

"Ahh...if you hadn't gone back in time, the twig wouldn't have snapped." Lucius said, nodding. Severus just glared. Maya stuck her tongue out at him, and he gave her a slightly shocked look in return.

"Come on, Maya." Lily said, before he could retaliate. "It's nearly curfew..."

"Right..." Lucius handed them each a map. "This'll get you to the room that we'll practice in. See you tomorrow at Seven." The girls waved as they walked out.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Hermione and Lily sat down to eat, listening to the Marauders, on down the table, as they planned their next prank.

"Damn. That means they'll have pulled one." Hermione muttered. "We'd better keep our eyes open, Lils."

"I think it's too late." Hermione looked up to ask what her friend was talking about, but she trailed off as Lily pointed.

"Oh no." She muttered.

"Poor Lucius and Severus." Lily agreed. The men were absolutely miserable, standing there silently as their hair turned Weasley-Red and their clothes turned Gryffindor-Gold. Lily winced in sympathy before muttering. "Time for a prank?"

"Indeed." Hermione growled. "Lils...keep them busy."

"How?" Lily asked.

"You're Head Girl. Use your imagination." Hermione slipped out of her seat and hurried for the doors.

"Maya...!" Lily hissed, but her friend was already on her way out the door. Lily groaned to herself before whispering a spell, pointing her wand at James's hair. "Let's see what his fan-club thinks of THAT!" She muttered, very carefully not paying attention to the fact that she was jealous. On cue, James and Sirius were suddenly bald.

They looked at each other and froze. "Paddy..." James muttered... "Your hair..."

"You too...Prongs..." Sirius whispered. They felt up around their heads...and together they let out identical, feminine, horrified shrieks of dispair. Their fanclubs fell around them.

"Oh no! Your HAIR, Jamsiepoo!" One particularly slutty sixth year named Viviane Riel, cried, dropping to her knees.

"Wanna join the fun, skank?" Lily hissed softly into thin air, pointing the wand and whispering a spell. The Great Hall filled with shrieks as Viviane realized that she had lost her hair as well.

"Oh too bad." The entire group of wailing girls and Marauders turned to stare at a very unsympathetic Hermione.

"What do you want, Gurgeon!" James snarled.

"Now now, Jamsiepoo...what kind of talk is that?" Maya cooed with a very, VERY fake smile. She glanced at Sirius and winked...so quickly that the boys weren't sure that they'd seen anything at all. She glanced at Viviane. "Wow, Riel. I knew you were desperate for some cock...but I didn't know you were THAT desperate. Tell me...who has a fetish for bald bimbos around here?" She glanced around. "Oh too bad. You're out of luck. So sorry."

Lily took her cue and walked up. "Maya, Darling, don't we have somewhere to be? It's nearly seven, after all."

"Of Course, Lily Dear. I was just complimenting our friends the Marauders on their lovely hairdos. I suppose you're right, however...Musn't keep the men waiting." Maya cooed. She very studiously DIDN'T look at James and Sirius...so of course she saw their faces turn even more grim than before...and she could feel the jealous waves rising from them.

"No, we Musn't..." The two girls linked arms and waltzed out of the Great Hall.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT!" Sirius roared as the entire Hall turned its attention back to the Marauders. He stood up and stormed out, followed by James. Nobody saw when, moments later, three Slytherin boys stood up and left as well.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"I didn't necessarily mean draw the entire Hall's attention to the Gryffindor table, Lils." Maya said as she whispered the password and pushed open the slab that would let them into the Snake's Halo practice room. "Now they all think..."

"That we have guys. Exactly. It'll get Potter off of my back and Black off of yours." Lily caught the look on Hermione's face. "You DO want Black off your back, don't you?"

"Well...I..." She was saved from answering by the three men that burst into the room. Severus stormed over to his drums, while Lucius came over and gave both girls hugs.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" He whispered. Lily and Maya exchanged amused looks before they pulled back.

"Really...if you think THAT was good...wait until you hear what happens tonight." Hermione said.

"There's more? What?" Severus looked up, very interested.

"Let's just say that Jamsiepoo and his ickle friendies are going to have to walk up stairs that have been transfigured into a swamp." Hermione said. "It's a little something I learned from a couple of mates of mine back in Durmstrang."

"Won't the teachers be able to take it off?"

"It's keyed to the Marauders. They have to do it. Nobody else can." Maya smirked.

"BRILLIANT!" Lucius crowed. "Now...let's practice!" Hermione and Lily grinned at each other, picking up their guitars and getting ready.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Hey Remus, do you see Gur...Maya and Evans?" Sirius asked. Maya had hexed them more than once for daring to call her Gurgeon, and she was still threatening. Sirius would rather not incurr her wrath on the night of the Battle of the Bands...even if she wasn't around to hear him.

"No...but look at what the Slytherins have named their band." Remus said, frowning. It was November first...the night that all of their hard work would pay off.

"Snake's Halo? That's an odd name for an all-guy band." James said, frowning down at his list of bands. They were last, following the Slytherin Band in question...and they were nearly up.

"Maybe they're not an all-guy band." Pudge said. After hearing Maya call him that, the Marauders had all dissolved into laughter and called him that almost as often as they called him Peter or Wormtail now.

"Nonsense, Pudge. Any band worth its salt would be an all-guy band. Just look how horrible those bands with women have been so far." Sirius said, arrogantly...still searching for Maya.

"I doubt she'll show up, Padfoot." Remus said, softly. "She's still pretty sore about not being allowed into our band." He shot a look at James, who had the decency to look a bit guilty, before turning back to his canine friend.

"If Evans is here, Maya will be." Sirius said, determined.

"Hate to break it to you, mate, but it doesn't exactly look as if Evans is here, either." James said, patting his friend on the back. Sirius sighed, looking up as Dumbledore stepped onto the stage.

"And next up is Snake's Halo. This is a primarily Slytherin band, and its members are Lucius Malfoy, on Guitar and Lead Vocal, Severus Snape, on drums and backup vocal, Trevor Zabini, on bass and back up vocal, and two mystery musicians on guitar, Lead, and Backup vocal."

(**Note: **Regular Actions, **Bold Lucius, **_Italics Backups, **BoldItalic All)**_

Severus began with his drums, and after two measures, Maya joined in...and then Lily, Lucius, and Trevor last.

**I thought it was too good to be true... **The audience stared, surprised at the easy pitch of Lucius' voice.

**I found somebody who understands me**

**Someone who would help me to get through**

**And fill an emptiness I had inside me**

**But you kept inside and I just denied**

**Some things that we should have both said**

**I knew it was too good to be true**

**'Cause I'm the only one who understands me...**

Sirius and James stared as one of the one of the mystery musicians...cloaked from head to toe...fell to his knees and played a short solo as Lucius continued

**What happened to us? We used to be so _Perfect _**_(Perfect)_

**Now we're lost and lonely**

**What happened to us? And deep in side I _Wonder _**_(Wonder)_

**Did I lose my only **_ooh..._

_**Remember they thought we were too young**_

**To really know what it takes to make it**

_**But we had survived off what we had done**_

**So we could show them all that they were mistaken**

**But who could have known **_(Who could have known?)_** the lies that would grow **_(lies that would grow)_

**Until we could see right through them**

**Remember they knew we were too young...**

**We still don't know what it takes to make it! **The mystery person began playing his bit again.

**What happened to us? We used to be so _Perfect _**_(Perfect)_

**Now we're lost and lonely**

**What happened to us? And deep in side I _Wonder _**_(Wonder)_

**Did I lose my only **_one?_

Severus turned into the Mic that was right beside his mouth and sang.

_We could have made it work, we could have found a way_

_We should have done our best to see another day_

_But we kept it all inside until it was too late_

_And now we're both alone, the consequence we pay_

_For throwing it all away, for throwing it all away..._

**What happened to us? We used to be so _Perfect _**_(Perfect)_

**Now we're lost and lonely**

**What happened to us? And deep in side I _Wonder _**_(Wonder)_

**Did I lose my only one?**

**What happened to us? We used to be so _Perfect _**_(Perfect)_

**Now we're lost and lonely**

**What happened to us? And deep in side I _Wonder _**_(Wonder)_

**Did I lose my only...**

**What happened to us? What happened to us? What happened to us? What happened to us!**

Lucius paused for only a moment after all of the music stopped before he stepped up to the mic again.

**There never seems to be, because what I believe, a moment _I'm not trying_**

**To show them who I am, why can't they understand the things that**

_**They're denying?**_

**They're denying...**

**So what should I do, just lay next to you**

**As though I'm _unaffected?_**

**And who should I be, when they're judging me**

**As though I'm _unaffected?_**

**A chance they'd never give to ever want to live the life that _I am made of_**

**There's nothing left to prove, my heart's forever true what is it they're**

**afraid of?**

**Afraid of...**

**So what should I do, just lay next to you**

**As though I'm _unaffected?_**

**And who should I be, when they're judging me**

**As though I'm _unaffected?_**

**Before they even saw my face **_(Saw my face)_** they knew that I was not the same **_(Not the same)_

**And decided that I was not the one**

_**For you**_

_**For you...**_

**So what should I do? **_(What should I do?)_** I'm not _unaffected_**

**And who should I be? **_(Who should I be?)_** I'm not _unaffected_**

**So what should I do, **_(What should I do?) _** just lay next to you**

**As though I'm _unaffected?_**

**And who should I be, **_(Who should I be?)_** when they're judging me**

**As though I'm _unaffected?_**

When the roar died down, Lucius smiled and bowed low, before lifting the mic from its stand. "Thank you, thank you. You're wonderful, really. Now, however, I'm going to give over the microphone to my very very good friend back there under the blue cloak, and Severus is going to give his to our friend under the green cloak, and you'll all get to see just who you've been watching play for the past two songs as they sing their hearts out." He smirked and transfigured the mic into one that would clip onto the collar of a shirt, as Severus did the same. He then stepped back and handed the mic to one of the mystery musicians who put it on silently.

Sirus and James started as the stage flooded with blue-gray smoke, lit dimly. Two cloaks flew into the air as Lucius made his guitar wail and, to the Marauders' surprise, they heard feminine voices...accompanied only by Severus, who they knew to be on drums, and Trevor on Bass. (**Note: **Regular Actions, **Bold Hermione, **_Italic Lily, _& **_BoldItalic Both.)_**

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

_**Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday**_

The lights rose slowly towards the two shadows standing in the smoke as the two beautiful voices sang in harmony, and the stage cleared without warning, as if the mist were the red sea parting before Moses, only the mist cleared to reveal the two least likely women as they began to sing, Maya stepping forward with Lily right beside her.

**Where have all the good men gone,**

**And where are all the gods?**

**Where's the street-wise Hercules**

**To fight the rising odds?**

**Isn't there a White Knight**

**Upon a Fiery Steed?**

**Late at night I toss and turn**

**And dream of what I need! **Hermione's voice became breathy each time she sang the higher notes, (Underlined) and she seemed to look straight at Sirius as she sang the last two lines.

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the end of the night.**

**He's gotta be strong, **Hermione pretended to flex like a wrestler.

**And he's gotta be fast **She pretended she was running

**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight **She balled her fists and lifted them in front of her face.

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the morning light!**

**He's gotta be sure **Maya swept her hand out towards the audience

**And he's gotta be soon **She pointed to her feet

**And he's gotta be larger than life! **Hermione brought her hands up under her head, spread out either way as she looked up at the ceiling.

_Larger than Life..._

**Du dum dada dum_ dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

_**Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday**_

Maya and Lily walked in tiny circles so that they were always rotating, one in front and one behind...stopping and moving side by side only as Maya began the next verse.

**Somewhere after Midnight,**

**In my wildest Fantasy.**

**Somewhere just beyond my reach**

**There's someone reaching back for me.**

**Racing on the thunder**

**Rising with the heat**

**It's gonna take a super man**

**To sweep me off my feet!**

She pretended to faint, falling backwards into the arms of Trevor, who pushed her back up and continued playing his bass, the sound filling the Great Hall as Hermione once more acted out the Lyrics to the chorus.

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the end of the night.**

**He's gotta be strong,**

**And he's gotta be fast **

**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight**

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the morning light!**

**He's gotta be sure**

**And he's gotta be soon**

**And he's gotta be larger than life!**

_Larger than Life..._

Lucius played a short solo, dropping to his knees, before standing up as Lily stepped forward, whispering seductively into her microphone.

_Out where the moon is with the heavens above_

_Out where the lightning splits the sea_

_I would swear that there's someone, somewhere_

_Watching me. _James could swear she was staring straight at him, her bright green eyes warm as she put her hands to her chest and shook a little so that her hair flowed.

_Through the wind and the chill and the...rain_

_And the storm and the...flood_

_I can feel his approach like fire in my blood._

James shuddered as she gave a soft shiver, making herself writhe and running her hands over her body before Maya walked up behind her.

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

**_Du dum dada dum dadada dum cuhday _yeah**

The two women stood one in front of the other as they sang, leaning to either side so that both were visible, switching sides with every two beats of Severus' drums. As they began the chorus once more, they branched out to each side and both acted out the lyrics, rather than just Maya.

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the end of the night.**

**He's gotta be strong,**

**And he's gotta be fast **

**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight**

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the morning light!**

**He's gotta be sure**

**And he's gotta be soon**

**And he's gotta be larger than life!**

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the end of the night.**

**He's gotta be strong, **

**And he's gotta be fast **

**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight**

**I need a _Hero! _**_Hero!_

**I'm holding out for a Hero**

**'Til the morning light!**

**He's gotta be sure**

**And he's gotta be soon**

**And he's gotta be larger than life!**

_Larger than Life..._ Maya and Lily both froze, arms outstretched, as Lucius began playing the ending solo...their fists slowly closed, and their arms dropped, as did their heads, so that they were pictures of innocence as Lucius finished off the song, and as the last strain of music faded out, the audience rose to its feet and the noise almost lifted the roof from the Great Hall. Maya and Lily grinned at each other, giving each other high fives before turning to do the same to the rest of the band.

"Think we surprised them a bit?" Maya asked, nodding to the Marauders...who had yet to close their mouths. Lucius smirked.

"Let them beat **that!**" He crowed, laughing. He'd never felt so happy. He hadn't known he was capable of it. "Hey Maya, are you still going to help me with Transfiguration tomorrow night?"

"Sure thing, Lucius." Hermione said, grinning. She'd never felt so good in her life...even if it was with the Ferret's father and her dreaded potion's master, Snape. She and Lily said their goodbyes to the guys and made their way down the stairs off the stage and over to their roommates.

"Why didn't you **_tell_** us!" One of them, Alice Boron, asked.

"We were afraid we'd lose our nerve." Lily lied. They'd agreed that nobody but the band, and of course Dumbledore, could know until the night of the Battle. "That's also why we didn't watch the rest of the bands."

"But still! I thought we were friends!" Alice gushed. "Have you gotten any ACTION?"

Hermione and Lily exchanged glances. "It's time for the Mauraders. Let's watch." Hermione said.

"But **_Maya_**!"

"Sh! I'm trying to watch!"

"And now last, but certainly not least..." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as they met those of the two women standing off to the side with their roommates, "The Marauders, with James Potter and Sirius Black on Guitars and Lead Vocals, Peter Pettigrew on Bass, and Remus Lupin on Drums and Lead Vocals."

Sirius fought not to show his nervousness. The Marauders had never had anyone come remotely close to their skill level...and it hurt to think that the very women that they'd rejected so coldly had made Snake's Halo into the kick ass band that it was.

Before he could think on it too much, Remus began playing the drums, and it was soon time for Sirius to come in with James on Guitar. (Regular Actions, **Bold James, **_Italic Sirius and Remus, **BoldItalics All)**_

**Starry nights City lights**

**Coming down over me**

**Sky scrapers, Star gazers**

**In my head**

**Are we? We are!**

**Are we? We are the waitin unknown.**

**Steady town**

**It's burnin down in my dreams**

**Lost and found**

**The City found in my dreams**

**And screamin!**

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin!_

**And screamin!**

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin!_

**Forget me nots, Second thoughts**

**Live in isolation**

**Heads or tales?**

**Fairy tales in my mind.**

**Are we? We are!**

**Are we? We are the waitin unkown!**

**The Rage and Love**

**The story of my life.**

**The Jesus of**

**Supurbia is a lie**

**And screamin!**

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin!_

**And screamin!**

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin unknown!_

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin!_

**And screamin!**

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin unknown!_

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin unknown!_

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin unknown!_

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin unknown!_

_Are we? We are!_

_Are we? We are the waitin unknown!_

They hit the last note and froze. The Great Hall went wild, and James and Sirius couldn't help looking over to where Maya and Lily were standing, watching. They had moved away from their dormmates, the men noticed, and were standing with Malfoy and Snape, watching the band with a calculating eye as they talked quietly. James was the first to pull himself out of his daze, and he stepped up to the mic once more as Remus began to play his drums once more. On cue, James and Sirius began playing, and Sirius trilled his tongue like a spaniard.

_**She's an extraordinary girl**_

_**In an ordinary world**_

_**And she can't seem to get away**_

_**He lacks the courage in his mind**_

_**Like a child left behind**_

_**Like a pet left in the rain**_

**She's all alone again**

**Wiping the tears from her eyes**

**Some days he feels like dying**

_**She gets so sick of crying**_

James stepped back from the mic to play a couple of measures before they picked up once more.

_**She sees the mirror of herself**_

_**An image she wants to tell**_

_**To anyone willing to buy**_

_**He steals the image in her kiss**_

_**From her heart's apocalypse**_

_**From the one called whatsername**_

**She's all alone again**

**Wiping the tears from her eyes**

**Some days he feels like dying**

_**She gets so sick of crying**_

James stood back to play, his fingers moving in syncronization with Sirius' as they played a short instrumental break, their eyes both finding the women that they liked, only to find them talking to the Slytherins.

**She's all alone again**

**Wiping the tears from her eyes**

**Some days he feels like dying**

**Some days it's not worth trying**

**Now that they both are finding**

_**She gets so sick of crying**_

_**She's an extraordinary girl, an extraordinary girl**_

**_An extraordinary girl, an extraordinary girl! _**James and Sirius hit their strings one last time and let them fade out, slowly. They took a few moments to switch places, and Sirius stepped up to the mic and spoke into it.

"This is going out to the girl that my good friend James over here decided that he loved with all of his heart." But his eyes were on Maya as he said it, who was nudging Lily and whispering to her with an evil grin on her face. "Thank you for your support. We're The Marauders, and we hope you had an okay time tonight." When the cheers died down, he stepped back. (Regular Actions, **Bold Sirius, **_Italics Remus, **BoldItalic All)**_

James and Sirius began playing their guitars in perfect unison, and as Remus began to play his drums, they began to sing softly.

_**There's a pain that sleeps inside**_

_**It sleeps with just one eye**_

_**And awakens, the moment that you leave**_

_**Though I try to look away**_

_**The pain it still remains**_

_**Only leaving when you're next to me**_

**Do you know that every time you're near, **

**Everybody else seems far away?**

**So can you come, and make them disappear?**

**Make them disappear and we can stay... **Sirius looked down and made sure he met Maya's eyes, making her blush brightly and smile a tiny smile...the only smile she'd ever given Sirius that was a true smile.

_**So I stand and look around,**_

_**Distracted by the sounds**_

_**Of everyone, and everything I see**_

_**And I search through every face**_

_**Without a single trace**_

**_Of the person, the person that I need... _**James met Lily's eyes, and neither was able to look away from what they saw in the other's gaze, their eyes intense and unwavering.

**Do you know that every time you're near, **

**Everybody else seems far away?**

**So can you come, and make them disappear?**

**Make them disappear and we can stay...**

**Can you make them disappear? Make them disappear!**

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_**There's a pain that sleeps inside**_

_**It sleeps with just one eye**_

_**And awakens, the moment that you leave**_

_**And I search through every face**_

_**Without a single trace**_

_**Of the person, the person that I need...**_

**Do you know that every time you're near, **

**Everybody else seems far away?**

**So can you come, and make them disappear?**

**Make them disappear and we can stay... **Sirius held the last word out until he couldn't any longer before continuing.

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah_

_Woah Woah Woah Woah Woah..._

As Remus was still singing his last note, Sirius and James faded out slowly, letting the song end. James turned with a hopeful eye to the audience, while Sirius glanced out once before moving to help with the equipment.

Lily hesitated, torn, and Hermione smiled and gave her a small push. "Go, Lils. Go get your man, before someone else does."

Lily looked at Hermione one last time and smiled. "Thanks, Maya..." She whispered before she ran for the stage, jumping up on it and kissing James full on the lips. Hermione smiled in a slightly sad way, turning to meet the gray eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

"Black was singing to you." He said, quietly.

"Think so?" She glanced at the stage. "I think he was just doing a favor for a friend." She gave him a small smile and touched his shoulder.

"I don't think that was it, Maya." Severus said. "Even I could see that he was looking at you." But she just smiled sadly, and eventually the men gave up. They forgot all about it in the next moment, actually, because Dumbledore stepped back onto the stage and they all turned to look.

"This has been a very, very fun event." Dumbledore said, smiling. "I am pleased to say that this was a very difficult contest to judge. Now...the trophies! For the first place winner, we have a recording contract to Wizards Broadcast, which you will fulfill this summer, and the chance to play at the Yule-tide Ball scheduled this year. Second place gets a recording contract as well, and third gets a 500 Galleon gift certificate, per member, to a store of their choice in Hogsmeade." He cleared his throat, and James and Lily started from where they were kissing on the floor, looking at him a bit guiltily.

Maya couldn't help grinning. "Third place is Raven Red, from Ravenclaw!" Dumbledore said. Maya and Lily exchanged glances, smiling, and the Headmaster continued.

"There is a tie for first and second, between the Marauders and Snake's Halo...so we are going to have a singoff." Maya squealed and turned to Lucius, hugging him tightly. "Each band must have no more than four members, and they will sing one song each. We have reversed the order of the bands, so the Marauders are up first." He stepped off of the stage, and the Marauders made their way back up, getting ready. Lily hurried to the edge of the stage to watch, much to the amusement of her three friends standing in the back of the crowd. (Regular Actions, **BoldSirius, **_Italic James and/or Remus, **BoldItalic All)**_

**She's a rebel, she's a saint  
She's the salt of the earth  
And she's dangerous  
She's a rebel, vigilante**

**Missing link on the brink of destruction **Sirius' eyes once more met Maya's, and she was grinning at the choice of song. He found himself playing better than before, wanting to please her.**  
**

**From Chicago to Toronto**_  
She's the one that they call Old Whatsername  
_**She's the symbol of resistance**_  
And she's holding on my  
Heart like a hand grenade!_

**  
Is she dreaming what I'm thinking?  
Is she the mother of all bombs?  
**_Gonna detonate_**  
Is she trouble? **_Like I'm trouble?_

**Make it a double twist of fate or a melody that**

**  
She sings the revolution  
The dawning of our lives  
She brings this liberation  
That I just can't define  
_Well, Nothing comes to mind_**

_**She sings the revolution  
The dawning of our lives  
She brings this liberation  
That I just can't define  
Well, nothing comes to mind**_

_She's a rebel, she's a saint  
She's the salt of the earth  
And she's dangerous  
She's a rebel, vigilante_

_Missing link on the brink of destruction_

_**She's a rebel, she's a saint  
She's the salt of the earth  
And she's dangerous  
She's a rebel, vigilante**_

_**Missing link on the brink of destruction**_

_She's a rebel, she's a rebel, she's a rebel_

**And she's dangerous**

_She's a rebel, she's a rebel, she's a rebel_

**And she's dangerous**

"Thank you, thank you." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling as he stepped onto stage and the crowd finally died down. He looked out across the viewers. "Now, Snake's Halo, you have five listed members. I'm sorry to say that one of you will not be allowed to play in this last song."

Hermione and Lily exchanged a glance, and Lily stepped forward. "I will be sitting this one out, Headmaster." She said, softly. Hermione followed the men onto the stage and began hooking up her guitar, getting it ready. The mics were switched off, and Lucius walked over to her.

"What are we going to do?" She asked him softly as she double-checked to make sure her guitar was in tune.

"I was thinking something that you and I both can sing." He said, softly. "The one we practiced so often just to fool around?"

"Do you think we could pull it off?" She asked him. He smiled.

"I'm sure of it." He gave her shoulder a squeeze, not able to get any closer to her due to his guitar, but she smiled and turned, taking a mic all the same. Severus relaxed. He would not have to sing this time. Hermione transfigured the mic once more and clipped it on, charming a piano off to the side. She then nodded to Lucius and took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment to steady herself. When she opened her eyes, Lucius was ready, and she smiled and nodded.

(Regular Actions, **Bold Hermione, **_Italic Lucius, **BoldItalic Both.)**_

The piano began playing a haunting Melody as Hermione stepped forward, feet shoulder width apart, hands down at either side, palms forward.

**How can you see into my eyes like open doors **She drew her hands up and crossed them, waving them before her eyes, slowly.**  
Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb **She slid her hands along her body, slowly.

**Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
Until you find it there and lead it back... **The men stopped playing all of their instruments. **...home**

_Wake me up_**  
Wake me up inside  
**_I can't wake up_**  
Wake me up inside **Hermione looked out across the audience, making each and every one of them feel like she was singing to them**  
**_Save me_**  
Call my name and save me from the dark **She gave a little writhe, making them shudder**  
**_Wake me up_**  
Bid my blood to run **Maya threw her head back, clenching her fists**  
**_I can't wake up_**  
Before I come undone **She threw her left hand around in front of her so that it crossed her chest, and she flung it down emphatically**  
**_Save me_**  
Save me from the nothing I've become **She flung her right fist out to mimic the left one, and she was standing in the position that she'd started in.****

Now that I know what I'm without She relaxed and looked back out across the audience once more.**  
You can't just leave me  
Breathe into me and make me real **Maya arched her back, falling to her knees.**  
Bring me to life**

_Wake me up_**  
Wake me up inside **She stood up and began to dance out the chorus once more.**  
**_I can't wake up_**  
Wake me up inside  
**_Save me_**  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
**_Wake me up_**  
Bid my blood to run  
**_I can't wake up_**  
Before I come undone  
**_Save me_**  
Save me from the nothing I've become**

**Bring me to life **Maya whispered into the microphone, reaching longingly across the audience.**  
**_I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside _**  
Bring me to life**

_Frozen inside without your touch without your love darling only you are the life among the dead _She let herself tense up, moving her hands back into the position they'd started in and lifting them slowly until, as she spoke the last word, she was frozen with her face tilted upwards and her hands stretched over her head.****

_All this time I can't believe I couldn't see _Hermione clenched her fists and brought them down quickly, staring out across the audience._  
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me!  
_**I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
Got to open my eyes to everything **Hermione drew her hands from her nose outwards, arching her back._  
Without a thought without a voice without a soul  
Don't let me die here  
There must be something more  
_**Bring me to life**

_Wake me up_**  
Wake me up inside  
**_I can't wake up_**  
Wake me up inside **She acted out the chorus once more, mimicking her earlier actions.**  
**_Save me_**  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
**_Wake me up_**  
Bid my blood to run  
**_I can't wake up_**  
Before I come undone  
**_Save me_**  
Save me from the nothing I've become**

Bring me to life  
_I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside _**  
Bring me to life **Hermione froze in the position she'd started in, though her eyes were upward instead of down as she held out the last note, finally dropping off and stepping back. She and Lucius paused for a moment as they fought not to cover their ears from the roar of the crowd, and then they turned and jumped at each other, hugging tightly

"I think we did it!" He shouted to be heard, making Maya giggle.

"I think so too!" She shouted back before running to hug Severus, who stood up to recieve her, and Trevor as well, who'd put his bass down so that it wasn't smashed. Lily climbed up onto the stage and the rounds of hugging began again, until the whole band was hugging. They quieted down only when Dumbledore walked up to them.

"Congratulations, Snake's Halo." He said, smiling. The audience began to shout again at their name, and the headmaster had to wait for them to quiet down before he continued. "On winning First Place. You will recieve a recording Contract from Wizards Broadcast and you will also be playing for the Yule-tide Ball that will be held on Christmas Eve. Any objections?" He studied them.

"No sir!" Lucius gasped out, a bit shell shocked, and Hermione laughed, turning to hug Severus again.

"We did it!" She shouted, oblivious to the looks from a certain black-haired Marauder. Lily ran and jumped off of the stage and into James, who caught her and kissed her deeply before he smiled and nodded to Dumbledore, accepting the second recording contract for the band.


	3. Chapter 2: Fighting Feelings

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A big thanks and a shoutout goes to:**

**Tenshisangel**

**olifantie-emma**

**The Gryffindor Drummer**

**Bob the Amazing Immortal Bouncing Goldfish Lord of the Exploding Plastacine Chickens – First off, I love your name. It's a classic, really it is. Second, I'm SORRY that you have to wait for a shitload of chapters to come out before we actually reach something that you haven't read. I don't know what was wrong with me that day...I uploaded the WRONG document twice before finding the right one.**

**Brillantblonde9 – I'm glad you enjoy it. It's always nice to hear from people who enjoy it.**

**siriusly lupine – Thanks, I'm glad you think that Sirius fits. And isn't Maya quite the character? I like her. Hehe.**

**Sermione – I have to say that that never gets old, hearing how great y'all think these stories are. I have to agree, Sirius/Hermione fics are great. And the nice Malfoy...well, Lucius just adds character to the whole thing, don't you think?**

**PandylBas – I'm glad you enjoy the songs. These songs are all chosen because I think they fit the characters, and because I like the song. I can almost guarantee that if I don't like a song, I'm not going to put it in here.**

**Jinger – LOL! Have you read any of my others? If you like this one, I think you may also enjoy By the Blood, I Commend You. It's the other WIP that I have, currently. Though, it's a HG/DM instead of a HG/SB fic. I'm trying to get one of almost all of the Hermione pairings in my writing.**

**_Again, I'm sorry for those of you who read the crappy first edition that cut off quite suddenly with the unfinished fifth chapter. Yeah...I'm still working on that chapter. It's a hard one, because it covers stuff that isn't actually essential to the story. It's more or less the transition chapter. It marks the nearly halfway point in the RPG._**

_**Yours,**_

**_Allison_**

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Lalala** **Chapter 2** **Lalala**

"Leave it to Hermione to con her way onto a band, one way or another." Ginny said, smiling sadly. "She loves singing..."

"Yeah." Harry said. "She has always been a sucker for a guy that could sing, too." He paused when he heard a sound of pain come from Sirius...the first sign of life from his godfather since the story had begun.

Severus put a hand on Sirius' back before he took a deep breath and continued. "Maya and Lucius began seeing each other more than before...it was odd, to the rest of us. We couldn't understand why they'd like spending time together with the contest over..."

"Perhaps, Severus..." A smoothe drawl came from the doorway. "It is best if I tell this part?" The group turned to see Lucius and Draco Malfoy both standing in the doorway. Draco looked confused, while Lucius looked oddly sad.

"Of course, Lucius..." Remus began, but Harry jump in.

"What are you doing here, Death Eater?" He snarled, drawing his wand.

"Waiting for an old friend." Lucius said.

"Harry, sit down." Ginny said. "I want to hear the story!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him back down.

Remus continued as if nothing untoward had happened. "I assume you've told Draco what's going on?"

Lucius gave a curt nod, and then his gray eyes slowly unfocused as he looked out the window...finally beginning to speak...

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Maya was stretched out beside Lucius, putting the finishing touches on an essay for Defence Against the Dark Arts the day that the owl came. It was solid black, with burning red eyes...and all it did was land and shove a leg into Lucius' face. When he took the parchment tied there, it flew off...but only after giving Maya a good peck.

"Bloody owl!" She cried out, turning back to her essay, just to curse again. "That wanker shit on my essay! Scourgify!"

Lucius couldn't help smiling at her red face and fiery eyes as he opened the letter, but the smile fell away as he read...as did any color that was in his face. Maya must have noticed, because when he started trembling, she took the letter from his hands and handed him a warm drink. He sipped it, unseeingly...hey! That was pretty good! Chocolate! "W-what's in this?" He managed.

"Chocolate and milk." She said. "It's a muggle drink, called Hot Chocolate...wonderful for a stormy day." She was reading over the letter as he sipped again. He looked up sharply when he realized what she was doing, but after a moment she just sighed and set the paper aside. "Lucius...I'm going to tell you something that I want you to remember for forever, okay?"

"Okay..." He said, warily...wondering what this was about. Maya perched in his lap and leaned back against his shoulder, not looking at him as she rested the side of her face against his, staring into the fire.

"No matter who tells you what, you are your own person. You can listen to them all you want, you can flinch at some of their ideas, and you can feel like punching their faces into bloody pulps...but in the end, it's you that will be deciding what you believe in. I can't tell you what to believe, nor can Potter or Black...or even Severus or Lily. In the end, all that will matter is you and what you feel...what you believe in. Orian Malfoy is just another one of those people. Father or no...all he will be to you in the end is the voice in your ear trying to influence you. Just like I am, just like Lily and Severus are." She began to pull away, but Lucius wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Maya..." He whispered as she turned, slowly, to face him. "I..." She put her fingers gently over his mouth. After a moment, he leaned in and kissed her, her hand sliding from his lips to frame his face. After a few moments, they both pulled back and looked at each other.

"Did you...?" Maya began...but Lucius knew what she was asking.

"Not a thing."

"Me neither." She smiled, almost relieved, and laughed along with Lucius as he hugged her tightly.

"No offence, Maya..." He told her...but her heart was bursting too much from relief to take offence. "But you're more like my sister than anything else."

"Same here, Lucius." Hermione said. "You're like a brother to me...but I had to know."

"Yeah, me too." He smiled and hugged her one more time before letting her go. They settled back in to finish their homework, and it was in a comfortable silence that they left each other hours later to make their way to their respective common rooms.

Hermione muttered the password to the fat lady and stepped inside, yawning as she headed for the stairs.

"Another study session with Lucy?" She turned, dropping her bag and grabbing her wand at the voice. Sirius stood there with his hands out to each side easily, showing her that he was unarmed.

"Indeed. At least SOMEONE I know has an intellect." She said, donning the mask that she always assumed around the Marauders...a hauty look on her face. She couldn't afford to change the past...though she would love, with everything she was, to get to know this young Sirius...to learn to love him. And Remus and James as well. These were the people she loved with all of her heart...but she couldn't show it.

"I'm hurt, really I am." Sirius put a hand over his heart. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Are you quite finished?" She asked. "I would like to get some sleep before the game tomorrow."

"Why, going to cheer for your precious Slytherins?" He asked, sneering. She just looked at him, her face cold. "They won't win, you know. They never do."

"Oh, it's too bad." She replied smoothly. "Your ego could handle coming down a notch or fifty." She picked her bookbag back up and walked upstairs, where Lily was waiting.

"Hey...are you going out with Lucius?" Lily asked, anxiously. Hermione managed a smile.

"No...we're just friends. He kissed me..."

"He KISSED you!" Lily interrupted, eyes wide.

"...And there was no chemistry. We're more like brother and sister than anyone else." Hermione finished, ignoring her friend's outburst.

"That's a relief...Narcissa Black has been making threats behind your back...I think she might make good on some of them if you don't watch out, Maya." Lily said.

"I could handle anything she threw at me...but thanks for the warning, Lils." Hermione said, softly. "Come on...we'd better get to bed if we want to be well-rested for the big game tomorrow."

When she was sure that Lily was asleep, Hermione sat up and sighed, pulling out her journal and whispering aloud as she wrote. "Lucius kissed me today. He's just like a brother to me, though, so there was nothing to worry about...though I wonder who would worry anyway. Not like I'm sought after by any guys. It's hard...seeing James, Sirius, and Remus and not being able to get to know them. Not being able to get to know who they are, really and truly...Lils is my only true friend, besides Lucius and Severus. No offence to the guys...but I just feel so alone sometimes...even with the three of them. Christmas is coming soon...I think I'll get presents for the Marauders, even though they won't be expecting them. I just won't be able to handle not sending out presents to my family and old friends...and I don't want to think about what'll happen when I wake up on Christmas day and there are no presents for me...anyway...quidditch is tomorrow, so I'd better go. I almost wish I'd tried out for the team this year...but oh well. I'll just go and cheer for Gryffindor. At least I can do that right."

She slid her journal back under her mattress and rolled over, blowing out her candle and closing her eyes...never knowing that a certain redhead was laying in the bed next to hers, listening to her every word.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"GO GO GO!" Hermione screamed, watching Remus throw the quaffle to another of the players. Sirius was flying around with the other beater, sending Bludgers flying towards the Slytherins, and James was hovering above the game, watching for the snitch. "YES!" She screamed again as Remus got the quaffle again and put it through one of the rings, giving Gryffindor ten more points.

"That makes the score 50 to 30, Gryffindor!" The announcer shouted, but Hermione ignored him in the next moment as she saw a bludger flying for Sirius' back.

"SIRIUS! BEHIND YOU!" She screamed. Lily looked over in surprise before adding her call to Hermione's. "SIRIUS!"

He turned, bringing up his bat in time to knock the bludger away. It circled around and came back towards him, and he tensed up, hitting it soundly down towards one of the Slytherin chasers. He glanced towards the stand and met Hermione's eyes, raising his bat a little in thanks, before he spun around and flew off to find and hit some more bludgers. Hermione ignored the weak relief that she felt, laughing to herself.

"GO JAMES!" She heard Lily scream, and she looked up to see Severus and James, neck and neck, chasing the snitch. She smiled, not cheering for either seeker...she didn't want Lily mad at her, but she didn't like James enough to cheer for him. She'd cheer for Remus in a heartbeat, but James? Nope!

"YES!" She screamed in the next moment, though, forgetting about not cheering for her team as James' hand closed around the snitch and he held it up in triumph. He flew straight down to Lily, who jumped onto the back of his broom, and the couple made a victory lap, screaming and cheering. Hermione looked up as Sirius flew over to her.

"What do you say, Maya?" He asked, holding out his hand. "Wanna make a lap?"

She hesitated, but when she spotted Viviane Riel running towards Sirius to accept, she growled softly and took his hand, jumping out onto the back of his broom. She regretted it in the next second, though, because she happened to look down.

Sirius could feel her panic as he started to fly around the stadium, and he called back. "Relax! I'm not going to let you fall! You should have told me you were afraid of heights!"

"It's not the height I'm afraid of!" Maya clung to him all the more tightly. "It's the ground at the bottom!" Sirius laughed softly, going even faster until Maya squeaked and buried her face in his back. His breath caught in his throat, and his seat on the broom became very uncomfortable all of a sudden. Both of the teenagers were relieved when he landed, and Sirius watched in amusement as Maya kissed the ground before running over to hug Remus. Hey! How come he got a hug!

He walked over to his friend as Maya ran off towards where Snape and Malfoy, who was the Slytherin Keeper, were standing. Malfoy turned and held his arms out to her and she hugged him sympathetically, making Sirius' blood boil. It was HIS victory! HE deserved a hug.

"Hey Gurgeon!" He shouted. "I knew you liked Death Eaters but I didn't think you would sink so low as to screw them!" He was rewarded by Gurgeon Paling and Snape and Malfoy flushing bright red, stepping protectively in front of the girl, wands out.

"Shove off, Black!" Gurgeon's voice was cold and clear. "At least they CAN get some!"

"SO CAN I!" Sirius shouted.

"Riel doesn't count, Black! She'd sleep with a hippogriff if it looked at her!" Malfoy shouted. Sirius flushed and reached for his wand, but Lily grabbed his arm.

"You DID start it." She said, coldly. "I'd have retaliated too."

"Yeah, but..."

"Jealousy doesn't give you a reason to hurt her." James said, softly. "Lily says she's really lonely."

"What?" Sirius turned.

"She writes in her journal at night. She talks aloud when she writes. She doesn't have anybody left, Sirius." Lily said, softly. "She doesn't think she's getting ANY Christmas presents."

"What! That just won't do!" Remus said, frowning.

"Hogsmeade trip, anyone?" James asked.

"Lovely idea." Sirius said.

"What has Gurgeon ever done to us?" Pudge asked.

"Shut up Pudge." James said.

"Don't be a fool." Sirius added. "We're a democracy, and as a democracy, we've decided."

"Of course, what we mean by democracy is that we choose what we do and you shut up...but the basic point is the same." Remus stated. Lily rolled her eyes and walked over to make sure her friend was okay.

Hermione relaxed against Lucius, when she heard an angry feminine voice shout her name. Sighing, she turned to see Narcissa Black storming towards her. "What a day..." She muttered to herself, stepping forward to meet the angry girl that was a year younger than she was. "Yes, Black?"

"WHAT IS UP WITH YOU AND LUCIUS!"

"Nothing." Hermione said, without blinking.

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HANGING ALL OVER HIM!"

"Because he's like my brother."

"Y-your brother?" Narcissa stuttered.

"Indeed." Hermione said, ignoring Lucius' snicker.

"He told me he kissed you!" Narcissa accused.

"Indeed he did. No chemistry at all. Terribly bland, really." Hermione said.

"Indeed." Lucius said.

"Oh..." Narcissa looked downright confused, so Hermione smiled and took pity on her.

"Listen...Lucius is one of my best friends...hell, he's one of my **only** friends. But he's only a friend...nothing more and nothing less. He's like my brother, my confidant, and my bodyguard all in one...but I don't love him like you do." Hermione said, softly. "I never will."

She stepped away from Lucius and took Severus' arm, pulling him away from the couple. Lucius hesitated for a moment, and the two of them spoke, and then Hermione saw them smile and link their fingers together. Lucius even leaned in and gave Narcissa a kiss on the cheek. Hermione grinned before hugging Severus.

"I'll talk to you later, Sev." She said, softly. "We're still on for the Christmas Eve thing before the dance, right?"

"Right. We'll be there, Maya." Severus said, smiling.

"Good. Dress for the dance...because we might as well just go straight there afterwards." Hermione said as she waved, walking back towards Lily and the Marauders.

"Gotcha!" Severus walked in the opposite direction...to retrieve Lucius and Narcissa and head inside. Hermione walked up to the Marauders and glanced at Lily.

"Well?" Her redheaded friend asked.

"Yeah, we're still doing it." Maya said. Before Lily could answer, however, Sirius jumped up on a rock and shouted.

"PARTY IN THE GRYFFINDOR TOWER!" The Gryffindors gave a cheer and ran for the castle.


	4. Chapter 3: Ruining Christmas?

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A big thanks and a shoutout goes to:**

**Bob the Amazing Immortal Bouncing Goldfish Lord of the Exploding Plastacine Chickens – Hehe. I'm adding to the part that you haven't read even as I write this. Well...kinda. I had to take a break from it because I can't find the CD that I need for the next song. Ugh. Anyway, I'm glad you like it!**

**amrawo – I'm glad you like it! It's always nice to hear that people like it**

**Idancer – I know what you mean. It just felt to me that Hermione wouldn't like the arrogance of the young James and Sirius that Ms. Rowling began to touch on during the fifth book.**

**Jinger – Hehe. Well, you'll just have to seeee won't you. Most of the story is already written, I will tell you that much. Well...most of THIS part of it, anyways.**

**Sermione101 – I'm glad you like that they aren't together yet. Here's that update that you asked for!**

_**Well...another update down, another step closer to the part that some of you haven't read yet! Hehe. Things are heating up between "Maya" and Sirius, no? Well...let's see just how HOT things get**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Allison**_

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Lalala** **Chapter 3** **Lalala**

"You KISSED GRANGER!" Draco shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.

"If you think that's bad, young Malfoy, then you should wait until we get to one of the last parts of the story." Remus said, quite calmly.

"What can be worse than my father kissing Mudblood Granger? OW!" He rubbed his head where Lucius gave it a sharp rap with his cane.

"You WILL be respectful, Draco." He warned.

"Yes, Father..." Draco murmured.

"Keep going!" Ginny pleaded, ending the arguing.

Severus looked to Sirius and sighed. He wasn't ready yet...so the Head of the Slytherin House was going to have to take the floor. He took a deep breath and began.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Maya and Lily were in the secret rehearsal room decorating when the Slytherins got there with all of the goodies from the kitchen. They turned and waved to the men before waving their wands and hurriedly finishing. Severus, Lucius, Narcissa, and Trevor set out all of the food and beverages before sitting down and looking around.

"Not too shabby." Trevor said. "Where are all of the instruments?"

"We set everything up in the Great Hall earlier when James, Maya, and I were decorating." Lily said. "Don't worry..." She continued before any of them could protest. "There's a protection spell put up by Dumbledore himself. They'll be safe."

"Good." Lucius said. "Hey Maya...you're still going to take over for a few songs so that I can dance with Cissa, right?"

Maya nodded. "Yes...and if I need help, I'll call Lily back up for a song or two. She's singing a few with us."

"Slow songs?" He looked amused.

"Plus the other dance tunes that we talked about." Hermione said, innocently. The three men groaned in unison.

"What? Dance songs?" Narcissa asked.

"You'll see, Narcissa." Maya promised with a wink. "I can't give it away now...can I?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Lily added, grinning.

"Okay." Narcissa grinned. The three girls had become very close over the month that they'd gotten to know each other, and they were all looking forward to the dance. Lily and Narcissa for obvious reasons...and Maya because she was going to sing. Well, that's what she CLAIMED, anyway. Lily and Narcissa both suspected that it had to do with a particular black-haired Gryffindor Marauder that WASN'T James.

"Now...for snacks and presents!" Maya crowed. The band, Lily, and Narcissa had decided to have their dinners before the dance so that they didn't get as hungry later before the parties in their respective common rooms. So many people had stayed behind to hear Snake's Halo at the dance that each house was being allowed to have a House Christmas Party...most everyone would snack throughout the dance and then go to their parties to eat...but the band wouldn't have that opportunity...at least, Maya, Severus, and Trevor wouldn't. None of them had partners...so they would be on stage through most of the dance.

The band sat there eating, laughing, and talking like the friends that they were. They hadn't always been like this, Hermione remembered. She could still remember the first few practices. Apparently, so could Severus, because the next time it was his turn to reminisc, he smiled and looked at Lily and Hermione.

"Remember all of the fights we had at the beginning of October?" He laughed. "I hated the thought of you two in our band...and I fought you at every turn."

"I remember." Lily smiled. "You broke all of Maya's guitar strings one day..."

"She hexed me until I thought it was going to take a whole TEAM of mediwitches to undo all of the spells!" Severus laughed.

"Mmm...I remember the first day that you realized that we were people, too." Hermione said, softly, smiling a tiny smile at the memory. "You looked so surprised to see me in here like that."

"It was the first time I'd ever seen a girl crying because of something so stupid!" He admitted. Hermione laughed and hugged him tightly. She remembered, alright. She had been crying about Harry and Ron and how much she'd missed them. It had been hours before rehearsal...but for some reason Severus had come in and found her. When pressed, she'd made up a lame excuse about being upset because she didn't get enough extra credit on her last Transfiguration Essay. He'd been shocked into laughter, and he'd hugged her companionably and whispered little nothings that had made her feel slightly better.

"Always glad to be of service." Hermione grinned. "It helped, at least." She chuckled and relaxed. It was her turn. She thought of it for a while, but before she could begin, Lily glanced at her watch and gave a bit of a shriek.

"If we're going to open presents, we'd better do it. We only have four hours before the dance begins and we girls need to get ready!" She squealed. The three of them had decided- being seventh year prefects- that they were going to commandeer the Prefect Girl's bathroom and get ready in there. Unfortunately...comandeering the Prefect Girl's bathroom wouldn't be quite as easy as it sounded.

"Right..." Hermione muttered. She, Lily, and Narcissa got out their wands and sent the brightly colored packages piled high in the corner zipping around the room to their owners.

"Okay..." Narcissa pulled out a camera. "Maya, you go first." Hermione picked up a random package and looked at the tag.

"It's from Sev." She grinned and spelled open the green wrapping paper- Green was her favorite color- before opening the box that was revealed. She gasped. "Sev! You didn't!" She slowly held up a collector's edition boxed set of very, very rare charm books and an equally rare boxed set of potion books. "Thank you so much!" She gasped, her smile a mile wide as Narcissa snapped off the picture.

When all of the presents were opened, Hermione was smiling even more than she had been at the sight of her first present. From Lucius, she'd recieved a custom made pendant made of a pure amber snake coiled around a bright silver guitar...with a silver halo above the snake's head. Lily had recieved the same...though her snake was made of sapphire. Lucius himself showed off his own, in obsidian and silver, and Hermione guessed that the entire band had gotten one. Sure enough, Severus had one in emerald and silver...though his instrument was a set of drums...and Trevor was sporting one in ruby and silver with a bass. Lucius had also given Hermione a book on the Dark Arts entitled Hexes for the Budding Magician. Hermione had grinned evilly, thinking that a few new hexes that would come in next time Viviane Riel went anywhere near Sirius...of course, then she had had to stop and wonder where **THAT** thought came from before she turned back to her presents.

From Narcissa, Hermione had recieved a spellbook on beauty spells...as well as several makeup kits. Lily had recieved a similar gift...though the case to her kit was painted blue while Hermione's was painted green. Narcissa had also gotten Hermione, Lily, and herself matching charm bracelets, each with a different charm on it. Lily's was a miniature spellbook that said "Best" on it, Hermione's a miniature guitar with the word "Friends" written on it, and Narcissa's was a heart with "Forever" written on it. Underneath each word were the initials "BFF" and on the back of each pendant was each girl's initials. L.E, M.G, and N.B. Trevor had gotten Hermione a few wizard novels...one of which she'd laughed her head off at the title of. Draco and Hermione. It was with wizards what Romeo and Juliet was with muggles...and when the band had looked at her, Trevor's expression almost hurt, she'd managed to gasp out an explanation.

"I used to know two enemies who were named Hermione and Draco." She said by way of explanation, wiping away a tear of mirth. The group had grinned a bit at this, and then they'd turned back to their presents. Hermione had gotten Lucius a muggle guitar tuner, swearing that it would tune his guitar better than the spells that he normally used. He'd hurried off to try it, only to remember that his guitar was already in the Great Hall...which was sealed off until the dance. Cursing softly, he sat back down and put it to one side beside the clothes that he would change into when the women left. Severus recieved a rare Potions book as well as an ingrediant rack...one that Hermione had spotted him eyeing in the store one Hogsmeade day. Trevor recieved a pile of Novels...he and Hermione had discovered the same love for reading that even Lily rolled her eyes at.

Narcissa had been given a muggle day-planner, as she was always complaining about not remembering her homework, and enough makeup and other beauty knick knacks to last her for the next year. Hermione had also gotten all of the men- including the Marauders- a gag gift of a pair of black silk boxers with flourescent pink hearts on them...though some of them had gotten pairs of flourescent pink silk boxers with black hearts on them (Cough- Sirius, Lucius, Severus, James -Cough) and soon the men were laughing and beating Hermione with pillows.

When the gifts were exchanged and the last of the paper cleaned up, Hermione, Narcissa, and Lily hurried out of the room and off to their respective dorms to get their things to dress for the dance. Well, Lily and Narcissa went to each dorm to get the stuff and Hermione went on ahead to the Prefect Bathroom to chase all of the whores out. She was delighted to meet Viviane Riel...and was even more delighted to send her on her way with several well-placed hexes. They'd chosen Hermione because of just that...her ability to scare everyone away. In fact, by the time the three girls had sealed the bathroom off with spells, the word had spread around Hogwarts that Maya Gurgeon would hex anyone who went near. So the three began work in peace.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Where is she!" James paced the floor of the Entrance Hall before the doors to the Great Hall nervously. He and Lily had agreed to meet downstairs and make their entrance more dramatic. Maya had passed by him earlier...looking stunning in her long baby blue dress with her hair all up and hanging around silkily. Her earrings were all dangling, and they caught the light gracefully. The tattoo that decorated her left ankle was hidden from view...but the fleeting glimpses of it that WERE viewable were enough to show that she was still a wild child underneath it all. She'd gone down extra early upon agreement with Lucius, Trevor, and Severus, and they were inside tuning up and readying their first few songs.

As soon as the Head Girl and Boy showed up to dance the first dance, they would begin. James turned to look up at the stairs, and he froze as he spotted the girl- no, woman- that he'd been waiting for. His breath caught and the world faded away, so that he didn't see the amused glances from his friends or the envious looks from the other men standing there...even those with dates. Lily was stunning, with her hair pulled up by Maya and pinned carefully and strategically to leave whisps of hair falling down to frame each side of her face. She was wearing a deep green dress that accented her eyes and looked very festive with her red hair. It was a spaghetti strap prom-style dress that fell to her ankles...but there was a slit that went up to one thigh.

James regained his wits just in time to hurry forward and meet Lily at the last step, offering her his arm.

"You're gorgeous..." He whispered, paying no attention to how breathless he sounded. He felt a thrill go through him as he saw her pinks turn pink ever so slightly, and she looked up and smiled at him. She followed him quietly onto the floor, her hand in his, as the band smiled knowingly at each other and Maya and Lucius stepped up to their microphones.

Hermione began to play a gentle melody on a guitar that nobody had seen her use before...an acoustic. She continued playing as Lucius began singing, softly. (Note: Regular Actions, **Bold Lucius, **_Italics Hermione, **BoldItalic Both.)**_

**Run your fingers through my hair**

**Softly kiss my lips**

**Hold me close in your embrace**

**Love me face to face...**

_**Face to face, Heart to heart**_

**Body to body**

_**Tingling tangle feelings**_

**Of Lovers Face to Face... **It was a good song...Hermione and Lucius had chosen well, though they could have just as easily left it till the last song and the effect would have been the same...but they had agreed that it would be more special to James and Lily if they were the only ones dancing to this song...and indeed, the two band members watched in amusement as Lily and James clung to each other as if they were the only ones in the world. The Acoustic guitar was a different sound...but it fit in Hermione's arms like it was meant to be there...and with the others backing up her playing, it was beautiful.

**I'll caress your body**

**And hold you close to me**

**I'll slide my hands around your waist**

**And love you face to face**

_**Face to face, heart to heart**_

**Body to body**

**Lips on lips, Arm in arm**

**Body to body**

_**Tingling Tangle feelings**_

**Of Lovers face to face**

_You softly say you love me_

_As you make love to me_

**No one else can take your place**

**_We happen face to face _**Anyone who didn't know the two band members as they gazed at each other each time they sang together would have thought that they were in love...so it was lucky that the majority of Hogwarts' populace knew the two and knew perfectly well that they were not dating, nor would they ever. It was deadly quiet in the hall as the last strain of Hermione's guitar faded out slowly, and then the entire student body clapped enthusiastically for the two dancing lovers. James was slapped on the back a few times, and Narcissa grinned openly at Lily, teasing her.

Hermione grinned and winked at her friend as she stepped up to the microphone once more. "Thank you James and Lily. Now, Hogwarts, LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" She began to play as the crowd cheered.

**Well she said "What's the problem, baby?" **Lucius grinned as the dance floor flooded with people beginning to dance the spirited dance with their dates. He and Hermione exchanged glances as they played in unison, her warm sophrano mixing perfectly with his light Tenor voice.

**What's the problem? I don't know**

**Well maybe I'm in love _love_**

**Think about it, everytime I think about it**

**Can't stop thinking bout it**

**How much longer will it take to cure this?**

**Just to cure it 'cause I can't ignore it**

**If it's love _love_ makes me wanna**

**Turn around and face me**

**But I don't know nothin' about love. Oh!**

_**Come on, Come on**_

**Turn a little faster**

_**Come on Come on**_

**The world will follow after**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Because everybody's after love**

**So I said I'm a snow ball running**

**Running down into the spring that's coming**

**On this love, meltin under blue skies**

**Beltin out _sunlight shimmerin love_**

**Oh baby I surrender to this**

**Strawberry Ice Cream Never ever end 'er**

**Oh this love! Well, I didn't mean to do it**

**But there's no escaping your love. Oh!**

_**These lines are blindin me**_

_**We're never alone never alone no no**_

_**Come on Come on**_

**Move a little closer**

_**Come on Come on**_

**I wanna hear you whisper**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Settle down inside my _love._ Oh!**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Jump a little higher! **Hermione and Lucius both jumped into the air, landing and spinning around, working carefully to keep their feet from becoming tangled in the cords.

_**Come on Come on**_

**If you feel a little lighter! **Sirius watched Maya absently as he danced automatically with Viviane Riel. She'd asked him to the dance...and since Maya was playing in the band and thus unavailable, he'd said yes. He was regretting it. Immensely. Maya looked stunning in an emerald blue dress that hugged all of her curves with shimmering perfection. It didn't wrinkle with her movements, so it was just loose enough. Sirius found himself drawn to Maya more and more, and after a while he gave up trying to pretend to dance with Viviane and he walked to the stage, just standing there and listening. Maya continued playing, oblivious to his presence.

_**Come on Come on**_

**We were once upon a time in _love_**

**We're accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally in love**

**Accidentally!**

_**I'm in love I'm in love I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love I'm in love I'm in love**_

**Accidentally! **

_**I'm in love I'm in love I'm in love**_

_**I'm in love I'm in love I'm in love**_

**Accidentally!**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Spin a little tighter!**

_**Come on Come on**_

**And the world's a little brighter!**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Just get yourself in side my _love_**

**I'm in love! **The two guitarists on stage acted as one, slamming their fists down in the ending chord and cutting off the sound suddenly. Everybody cheered them, and the two of them began to play again. It was much later when Hermione turned and nodded to Severus, who picked up a microphone and walked forward. Lucius sat down at his place to play the drums, and Severus gave Hermione a dark look. She smiled and kissed his cheek, beginning to play her acoustic guitar.

(Note: Regular Actions, **Bold Severus, **_Italics Hermione,_** _BoldItalics Severus and Hermione)_**

Severus shot Maya one more dark look, which she ignored, before he began to sing. As he opened his mouth, he forgot the lyrics and floundered, making Hermione step forward and sing softly into the mic. After the first line, Severus picked it up and Hermione smiled and stopped singing until it was time for her harmony to come in.

_If I lift my head_

_**From the bed of stars, the ocean wide**_

**If I call your name out. **Severus shot Maya a thankful look as he continued singing.

**Would you carry me _on inside? _**Severus closed his eyes, an intense look on his face.

**And if I close my eyes**

**Let me put my faith in the whole design**

**Could you raise _your voice _up?**

**Feeling that hope**

**_Together with mine_, yeah **Maya lifted her voice up in a light harmony to his before cutting out as Severus began to dance, a bit timidly.

**But I'm on my way**

**Yes I'm on my way**

**I said I'm on my way**

**Yeah**

**But I'm on my way **Hermione continued playing, smiling her encouragement at him. He fumbled a bit for the words, but by the time it was his turn to sing once more, he'd remembered and was fine.

**If I'm on my way now**

**I'm _better for it all _cause I'm moving on**

**And whether they _might say_**

**After all you can see**

_Yeah you can see_

**Yeah you can see**

_**I'm gone**_

_**But I'm on my way**_

**Yes I'm on my way**

**Said I'm on my way, yeah**

**Said I'm on my way**

**I'll never find my way back here from anywhere**

**I'll never find my way back here from anywhere**

**I'll never find my way back here from anywhere**

**I'll never find my way back here from anywhere**

**But I'm on my way**

**I said I'm on my way!**

**Yes I'm on my way **Severus began to dance again, not realizing he was doing so.

_I'm on my way_

**Said I'm on my way**

_Said I'm on my way_

**Yes I'm on my way**

_I'm on my way_

**Said I'm on my way**

**Yeah!**

**But I'm on my way... **Hermione hit the last chord softly and Severus, red-faced, ran back to his drums as the cheers came. Lucius smirked at him, and then he looked at Hermione hopefully. She grinned and nodded, silently. He laughed and hopped down from the stage, running to find Narcissa. Hermione stepped to the microphone and began to talk.

"This is a version of the song that my friend Lily and I sang for the Battle of the Bands...but it's a tango version. So...any of you who knows the tango..have at it!" But it was an unspoken decision by all that the Head Girl and Boy, Narcissa, and Lucius were the only ones to dance to this song. Severus had stood to charm several instruments waiting to one side as Hermione spoke, and she put aside both of her guitars and lifted the microphone from its stand, beginning to sing. At first...it was slow...almost unbearably so.

(Note: You get it by now, right? Bold is Hermione, Italics is Trevor and Severus...blah blah!)

**Where have all the good men gone and**

**Where are all the gods?**

**Where's the street-wise Hercules**

**To fight the rising odds?**

**Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?**

**Late at night I toss and I turn andI dream of what I need... **Hermione's eyes were half-closed as she sang intensely with only a piano for accompaniment...holding the microphone in both hands. She was sitting on the top of the grand piano that was sitting off to one side facing the the crowd. Suddenly, Severus began to play, as did the instruments that had been charmed.

**I need a hero! **Hermione jumped down, the mic hovering in front of her mouth as she began to dance.

**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night **She spun around and writhed on the stage, her feet moving in the steps to the tango...as if she had an invisible partner that only she could feel.

**He's gotta be strong**

**And he's gotta be fast**

**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight**

**I need a hero**

**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light**

**He's gotta be sure**

**And it's gotta be soon**

**And he's gotta be larger than life**

**Larger than life!**

**Somewhere after midnight **Maya's hips swayed seductively as she moved across the stage with the beat.

**In my wildest fantasy**

**Somewhere just beyond my reach **Hermione reached out across the crowd longingly.

**There's someone reaching back for me**

**Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat **She spun around and continued her little dance...swaying her hips and moving her feet quickly and steadily

**It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet**

Hermione continued dancing as the instruments cut in for a bit of a break. She spun around once, but other than that she seemed to be dancing the tango perfectly.

**Up where the mountains meet the heavens above**

**Out where the lightning splits the sea. **Maya threw one arm out towards the audience before spinning around until her dress came outwards as far as the silky fabric would allow. She then continued dancing.

**I would swear that there is someone somewhere**

**Watching me! **

**Through the wind and the chill and the rain **She swayed her hips expertly, dancing a tango all of her own on the stage.

**And the storm and the flood**

**I can feel his approach**

**Like the fire in my blood! **She ran one hand down Trevor's chest, holding him around the shoulders and falling backwards. His eyes met hers and he spun her out from him, back into her dance, as he and Severus picked up the harmony.

_Like a fire in my blood_

_Like a fire in my blood_

_Like a fire in my blood_

_Like a fire in my...blood! _The instruments picked up a break again, causing Hermione to dance across the stage with the beat.

_Hero!_

Hermione kept dancing until it was time for her to sing again, when she stopped and faced the crowd as she sang the first two lines.

**I need a hero**

**I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light**

**And he's gotta be sure **She began dancing again.

**And it's gotta be soon**

**And he's gotta be larger than life!**

The music tamed down until it was just a soft melody. Maya's dancing slowed momentarily before she exploded into motion again with the music.

_Aaah! Hero!_

**Well he's gotta be strong**

**And he's gotta be fast**

**And he's gotta be fresh from the fight! **Maya stopped dancing, suddenly, and stared out at the audience...her eyes meeting Sirius' and making a tingle go up his spine. He'd watched her, practically drooling the entire time...but now...

**I need a hero! **The singer struck a pose and stood there, breathing heavily, for a few moments before she stood up and grabbed her charmed water bottle- it would never empty. As the crowd erupted- both for her and the two pairs of dancers on the floor, she smiled and walked over to double-check the tuning on her guitars while Lucius kissed Narcissa. As Lucius was tuning up his own guitar again, Sirius made his decision and walked forward to the edge of the stage.

"Maya..." He called. She turned, blinking, and frowned slightly at him.

"Yes, Black?"

"It's Sirius..." He said. She frowned more deeply, looking up at Malfoy in confusion. The blonde just shrugged. "Would you like to dance?"

"With you? I don't know, Bl...Sirius..." Maya hesitated.

"Please?" He asked, softening his voice. Malfoy gave Maya a gentle nudge. She walked down the stairs behind the stage and over to take Sirius' hand as he lead her out onto the dance floor, praying that Lucius would make it a fast song. She might be worn out...but she wasn't certain she wanted to dance a slow song with Sirius Black...

Lucius, on the other hand, had other plans. He, Severus, Lily, and Narcissa had all watched Maya watching Sirius and Sirius watching Maya...and they agreed unanimously that the two would make a very good couple...he could make her smile, even though she didn't admit it, and she made him study harder...though he would die before admitting to such actions. (Bold Lucius, Italic Severus, Both Both)

Hermione bit her lip to keep from groaning as Lucius and Severus began to play. It wasn't fast.

**I'll be your dream**

**I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy**

**I'll be your hope, I'll be your love**

**_Be everything that you _need **After a few moments, Maya stopped trying to fight her instincts, and she rested her cheek against Sirius' shoulder, her forehead against his neck. She just seemed to fit in his arms. Apparently he thought the same thing, because his arms tightened slightly around her.

_I'll love you more with every breath_

_Truly Madly Deeply Do_

**I will be strong, I will be faithful**

**Coz I'm counting on**

**A new beginning**

**A reason for living**

**A deeper meaning **_yeah_

_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_

_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_

_**I wanna lay like this forever**_

_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

**And when the stars are shining **Sirius began singing softly with the lyrics, sending a chill up Hermione's spine and making her press closer to him. His warm voice whispered in her ear gently, his arms pulling her closer to make up for the chill.

**Brightly in the velvet sky**

**I'll make a wish send it to heaven**

**_Then make you want to _cry**

_The tears of joy for all the_

_Pleasure in the certainty_

**That we're surrounded**

**By the comfort and protection of**

**The highest powers**

**In lonely hours**

**The tears devour you**

_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_

_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_

_**I wanna lay like this forever**_

_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

**Oh can you see it baby?**

_**You don't have to close your eyes**_

**_Coz it's standing right before you _**Hermione looked up and met Sirius' eyes as they danced. His hands pulled her even closer, resting on her waist, as he stared into her eyes. He was finding it increasingly difficult not to do something that he'd regret later, but he couldn't help it.

**All that you need will surely come**

**I'll be your dream**

**I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy**

**I'll be your hope, I'll be your love**

**_Be everything that you _need**

_I'll love you more with every breath_

_Truly Madly Deeply Do...Mm Mm..._

_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_

_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_

_**I wanna lay like this forever**_

_**Until the sky falls down on me**_

_**I want to stand with you on a mountain**_

_**I want to bathe with you in the sea**_

_**I wanna lay like this forever**_

**_Until the sky falls down on me..._** Any other lyrics that there might have been faded out as Sirius' lips pressed softly against Hermione's. They were soft, not like she'd have expected. She almost expected his lips to be hard and demanding...he had such the reputation of being a player...but they weren't. They were so soft and gentle that she found herself becoming lost in his touch. Her eyes slid closed slowly...and then they flew open again when a hand closed over her hair and yanked her back.

Hermione turned, rubbing the back of her head, to see Viviane Riel saunter into her place and kiss Sirius...forcefully. Red flashed before Hermione's eyes and her wand came to her hand without having to be summoned. It knew when its mistress needed it.

Hexes, Jinxes, and other particularly nasty spells lit the Great Hall like a fireworks display within the next few moments as Hermione fired off every single spell within her considerable repertoire that would cause Viviane mental, emotional, or bodily harm. By the time the light cleared and everyone could look again, Hermione was standing on the stage with guitar in hand, a fearsome light in her eyes. Sirius looked up at her and began to speak, but she looked right through him like he wasn't even there. James walked over and nudged Sirius, and the Marauders silently took Riel up to the hospital wing.

Hermione ignored them and began to play her guitar. She had never felt so angry in her life. Just when she thought that things might not be so bad...even without Harry and Ron. Not to mention her p...oh that was right. Her parents were dead in her own time, too.

As soon as the dance ended, Hermione ran from the Great Hall.


	5. Chapter 4: Fighting Battles

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I owned ANY of this stuff, do you think I'd be writing fanfics online? No, I'd be writing books and getting lots and lots of money! The songs will be listed, for those of you who demanded a list of the songs, at the VERY END of the fic. That means, once it's all tied up and concluded, you'll be able to read the band names and albums that contributed to this work.**

**A big thanks and a shoutout goes to:**

**Sermione101 – I know what you mean. I listen to Affirmation every night to help me get to sleep. It reminds me of the one I love. Hehe. I'm glad you liked Hermione's reaction. I daresay I was hard put to keep her from punching Viviane, but it just seemed like MAYA as a character would hex first, punch later.**

**The Gryffindor Drummer – Well, here's that update. I'm SOOOO sorry that it's taken so long. I wanted to make sure I had Chapter 5 done before I posted this one. I want to stay at least a chapter ahead so that I can give you guys fairly prompt updates. And...heh...it's only about three weeks late:: Sweatdrops:**

**Bob the Amazing Immortal Bouncing Goldfish Lord of the Exploding Plastacine Chickens – (I still love that name...) Actually, you'll have read all of this chapter (Ten pages long on word. Whew! I need hobbies! Oh wait, this is a hobby.) But you'll be reading new stuff in the next chapter. Excited yet? Huh Huh Huh? Hee Hee.**

**Que Bonita – It is rather funny seeing Hermione Jealous, isn't it? Well, kinda. I bet Riel doesn't think so!**

**amrawo – I'm glad you like it.**

**peacock5 – Okay. I'm glad you like this. But I have to ask this: How do you know that they're out of character? Events lead up to the bitterness of certain individuals...and sometimes catastrophes such as the one with Hermione outweigh the events originally turning those people into bitter SOBs. And...I disclaimed ALL songs at the beginning of the first Chapter (Well, technically, it's Chapter 2 but it was officially Chapter 1) and I will have a listing of albums and artists at the very end of the story. After all of this is wrapped up and over with. As you can see, I've also repeated my disclaimer in this chapter.**

**Jinger – Yeah, she was a wee bit pissed, wasn't she? I'm glad you loved it. And here you go. Another chapter for you to read. I daresay this one will take a while to work your way through.**

**Reanne1102 – I love how you just assume that I would stop updating if you didn't enjoy it. No seriously...I'm really glad you like it. It's always a fluttery good feeling in my chest when I know people are enjoying what I'm submitting.**

**Kagomegurl19 – Well. What is up with her? Typical teenage Drama. Have you spent a day in High School lately? Yeah...the drama is all pretty much what I see as being typical of High School. No offence to you High Schoolers out there. And when is she going back? Well...only time can tell. Pun intended.**

**mrs snake – I'm glad you enjoy it. It's great fun to write. And why do they assume that she's pureblood or halfblood? Well...Durmstrang is fairly famous for its dark arts. Witches and Wizards in the dark arts – in my mind – tend to be purebloods and halfbloods.**

**FireBringer – Is that a good interesting or a bad interesting?**

**ghzowy – I'm glad you enjoy it. Here's another chapter for you!**

**_I apologize for taking so long on this. I wanted to finish up Chapter 5 before posting it, and as you can see...Chapter 4 itself is a whopper of a chapter. Put in Word without all of the introductions and such, it's ten pages long. Yes, it's that long. On a rough estimate, Chapter 5 is about the same length...but I want to finish Chapter 6 before that goes up and I have classes and homework out the wazoo so you may have to bear with me._**

And now, I will finish my babbling and let you get on to the chapter that you've all waited so eagerly for. Here it is, ladies and gents, Chapter 4!

_**Yours,**_

_**Allison**_

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Lalalalalala** **Chapter 4 Lalalalalala .**

"Hermione did WHAT!" Ron choked out. Harry, Ginny, and Draco looked equally shocked. Hermione hex someone? That many times and in front of TEACHERS?

"Yes..." Severus chuckled softly in amusement. "Maya had quite the temper..." His smile fell away. "And she liked Sirius beyond anything I'd ever imagined was possible."

"Not just like, Severus. Maya loved Sirius." Lucius said, softly. "When Lily started clinging to James more and more, Maya turned to me." He explained to the teenagers. "The Yule Dance was a big flop after Sirius and Maya danced...so as soon as possible, we ended it."

"Hermione disappeared that night..." Remus said, preparing to pick up the story.

"Nobody could find her." The voice broke, but it was definitely Sirius' voice...though it was softer spoken than usual and full of tears. "I thought..." He cut off, closing his eyes. "I thought she'd done something stupid. I made Lily promise to tell me the moment she arrived at the dormitory..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Hermione slipped silently up to her room and crawled under her covers, biting back a whimper of cold, tired, grief. It wasn't enough, apparently, because Lily sat up straight.

"Maya Marie Gurgeon!" Lily hissed, venom in her voice. "Where the HELL have you been? Do you know how worried we've been?"

Hermione closed her eyes before turning to face Lily. "Hello to you too, Evans..." She managed to sneer through her chattering teeth. "Have a pleasant evening? I hope so. Mine was shit."

Lily flinched, but she met Hermione's eyes. The hurt in them made Hermione feel a little guilty. Only a little, though. "You didn't have to say yes, you know."

"I didn't know a whore was going to grab me by the hair and hank me around." Hermione growled. "Pardon ME for not being a seer!"

"Will you two keep it down!" Alice Boron shouted. The two witches had been getting steadily louder.

"Sorry, Alice..." Lily said. She turned to Hermione. "Look...I'm sorry...just go to sleep, okay?"

"I was planning to do just that, before YOU interrupted!" Hermione crawled into the bed and pulled the covers up over her head angrily.

When she was sure Maya was sleeping, Lily slid out of the dorm and walked up the stairs to the Boys' Dorms until she reached the dormitory that the Marauders were in. Slipping inside, she walked over to Sirius' bed and touched his shoulder. He rolled over and looked at her with red-rimmed eyes and wet eyelashes.

"She's in." Lily said, softly.

"Oh thank god..." Sirius whispered, and then he began to sob. He was a bit ashamed...he'd thought he'd gotten himself under control. "Oh Lils..." He buried his face in her stomach and cried. James woke up and looked over at Lily trying to comfort Sirius, and he slid from the bed and put his arms around them both. Moments later, Remus did the same. Only Pudge remained in his bed, snoring away.

It was much later that Sirius fell asleep and Lily eased him down into the bed, pulling the covers up over him. She kissed James and hugged Remus and hurried to her own dorm, yawning the whole way.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Hermione woke up the next morning feeling wretched. She didn't move...just burrowed deeper into her bed and pretended to be dead. Apparently, she did TOO well, because Lily panicked and shook her hard, yanking the covers down to reveal the oh-so-cursed sun.

"Maya! Thank god you're not dead!"

"No, but**_ you _**will be in about five seconds..." Hermione snarled, grabbing her blankets and disappearing beneath them again. Lily wasn't having it, however.

"Sorry...present time." She threw off the blankets again.

"Not like I got any anyway." On.

"You might be surprised." Off.

"Then I'll be surprised later. Like sometime this afternoon, perhaps?" On.

"Oh but that's no fun! You have to open them NOW!" Off.

"I don't want to be FUN, Evans, I want to SLEEP!" On.

"And what's with calling me Evans? I didn't do anything to you, you know." Off.

"If I'm calling you Evans and Black Black then I won't be slaughtering Riel." On.

"Come ON, Maya!" Off.

"Bugger off." On.

"I'll go get a bucket of water and dump over your head!" Off.

"Go ahead. If you are **that** suicidal then far be it from me to stop you." On.

"Oh, it's not like it was THAT bad! Riel was just being her normal self!" Off.

"If she was doing it near YOUR man, you wouldn't say that." On.

"Did you just call Sirius your man?" Lily stopped halfway through the gesture of grabbing the covers to yank them down, stunned.

"No." Hermione popped her head out of the covers and then disappeared again.

"You DID!" Off.

"You're imagining things." On.

"I'm not! You did!" Off.

"Will you QUIT?" On.

"Oh wait till I TELL him!" Lily ran from the room. A moment later, Hermione poked her head out and, seeing no Lily, sighed in relief and prepared to go back to sleep...just to have a bucket of ice water poured over her as she was dozing off. With a shriek, Hermione tackled Lily and rubbed conjured ice in her face. She then charmed herself and her bed dry and waterproof, put up a silencing charm, and climbed back into bed, snarling.

Lily just undid the charms and repeated her earlier actions. Hermione had had enough. She snarled and grabbed her brush. "FINE! I'll go open the fucking presents, the one or two that I have, that is, and THEN I'll go back to sleep!" She stormed out of the dorm.

Just to meet Viviane Riel in the Common Room.

"Hello, Gurgeon." Viviane sneered. "Have a nice night?"

"Oh wonderful." Hermione said, not batting an eyelash. "I had so much fun with Siri last night that it was almost unbearable." She stormed past Viviane to the pile of presents at the tree with the intent of finding the ones from Lily and her two guardians and leaving, but the Marauders had other plans. As soon as she sat down, they all piled present upon present in her lap with grins and 'Here Maya's.

"Did you mean that?" Sirius paused to ask. "What Lily said about you calling me your man?" His eyes were so raw with a need that he himself couldn't even explain that Hermione blinked.

"I never technically said that you were my man, Sirius." She said slowly to gather her thoughts. His face fell and she felt her heart wrench at the sight. "But..." He looked up, hardly daring to hope. "I'd...I'd like you to be." She said. Sirius didn't give her time to take another breath before he pressed his lips to hers, rough and needy. Hermione kissed him back, surprised, before gently pushing him away and smiling at him. He smiled back at her and sat beside her, _accio_ing his own presents over to open them. Hermione sorted through her presents methodically before picking up one from Peter first. It was a charm for her bracelet...a tiny wand with sparks shooting out of it. Touched, she reached over and hugged him.

"Thanks, Pudge." She grinned at him. He flushed, and Sirius reached out in jealousy to grab Maya's hand. She laughed and kissed Sirius, who sat back, placated, and opened a present from James.

"Open one of mine next, Maya." Remus said with a small smile. She smiled back and looked at the pile from Remus.

"Which one?" She asked. "You pick." She grinned up at him. He matched her, grin for grin, and handed her the smallest one. It was another charm...this time with a tiny werewolf howling at a full moon on it. Surprised, she looked up to meet his eyes. He blushed a bit.

"I figured...since you found out...and didn't care..." Remus had been the only Marauder that Hermione hadn't hexed to hell on sight after the first few meetings. She smiled at him and leaned in to hug him. She had 'found out' in November...and she had revealed her own secret animagus transformation to him with the promise not to tell if he didn't.

"It's wonderful, Remie." Hermione said with a smile, clipping it to her bracelet with the other two charms.

"Hey! How come I don't get a nickname?" Sirius whined.

"Because you get kisses." Hermione said. "Of course, I could always give Remus kisses and you a nickname..." She leaned towards Remus, whose eyes were sparkling with delighted amusement.

"Don't even think about it!" Sirius pulled her down to him, kissing her deeply. Hermione laughed as she pulled away and reached for one of James' gifts.

"What is it with you people and charms?" She asked, amused.

"Sirius' cousin said that she was getting you and Lils charm bracelets for Christmas." James said.

"She told us that she was only getting one charm to go along with them, so she suggested that for a possible gift." Remus said.

"So, we ran out and bought you charms." Peter finished with a grin.

Hermione laughed and hung the tiny stag charm on her bracelet before reaching for a present from Sirius. She wasn't going to open her present from Lily or her guardians until there was only one left from each. Sirius paused halfway through unwrapping his present from James to watch as Hermione pulled the small dog charm from its package. She looked at it for a while fondly before her eyes filled with tears before she could stop them. She looked up at Sirius and it hit her again that soon these wonderful people would all be in shambles.

"Maya! Don't cry...please! Oh, Please, baby...don't cry!" Hermione felt Sirius draw her into his arms, holding her tightly against him and rocking silently back and forth with her.

"I just...it's so...I didn't expect..." Hermione stuttered out.

"We wanted to, Maya." James said, softly. Hermione looked up at the concerned faces around her. "Everybody should have a reason to enjoy CHRISTMAS!"

"Thank you..." She whispered, looking up at Sirius. He smiled and kissed her forehead, clipping the tiny dog charm on her bracelet for her and handing her another gift.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Sirius laughed and threw another snowball at James and Lily, who were hiding behind a wall of snow blocks that they'd built before the snowball fight. Remus and Peter were hitting him from behind, and Malfoy and Narcissa were off somewhere to his left. Snivellus and Zambini were to his right, and Maya sat on the steps reading...having warned of what would happen should a snowball hit her.

"Hey Maya!" Sirius called, diving to avoid being hit, just to become the victim of four other snowballs. "A little help here?" When she just looked up and smiled, he added, "PLEASE?"

"Oh, alright." Maya set her book aside and stood, stretching luxuriously. The others, hearing that she was now fair game, sent eight snowballs her way in unison. And then they found out why Harry and Ron hated having her in a snowball fight against them. Using some of the martial arts movements that she'd learned over the summers, Maya sprung out of the way and snatched up several snowballs from Sirus' pile, aiming and firing them off without hesitation. After a moment, squeals could be heard from the girls and shouts from the guys as the snowballs hit their marks. Maya, laughing, grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him off to the side and around a corner. Snowballs flew past, and Maya laughed and threw a couple back. After a few moments, she turned to see why Sirius wasn't helping and her laughter died in her throat.

"What?" She asked, slightly afraid of his solemn look.

"You're beautiful." Sirius whispered, pushing her gently up into the nook that she'd been ducking into to hide from the snowballs and kissing her...long and deep. Hermione wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, one hand sliding through his hair gently. After several long moments, Sirius pulled back, breathing heavily. Hermione gasped softly for breath as well and looked up at him. Before she could formulate words, he leaned back in and kissed her jaw-line softly, tracing her jaw with feather-light kisses before beginning on her neck. Hermione closed her eyes and her breath left her in a shudder. Everything she'd ever heard on being kissed couldn't compare to this. Even kissing Viktor had paled in comparison.

She finally couldn't take it anymore and pulled Sirius' lips back to hers, kissing him deeply. His hands had just slipped out of his gloves and up the back of her shirt to stroke her back when about forty gallons of snow was dumped on them. Sirius gave a shout that was muffled against her lips, and Hermione squealed and looked up, glaring, at the eight people standing there looking innocent. She twitched one hand.

Lily noticed. "Look out! She's going for her wand!" And they beat it, running for the castle as Maya jumped out from behind Sirius and shot off eight well-aimed spells. They all fell to the ground, petrified.

"Nice shot!" Sirius said in admiration as she put her wand away, smirking.

"Thank you." She said before leaning up into him. "Now, where were we?"

As his lips were but a hair's width away, a sneering voice came from behind him. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here."

Sirius sighed softly and looked into Hermione's eyes. Hermione smiled helplessly at him and they turned to face whoever had interrupted this time. "Bellatrix. Regulus. How unpleasant to see you." His voice was light and humourous...though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hello, Brother." Regulus, a sixth year, sneered. Their attention focused on each other, none of the Blacks saw Hermione pale at Bellatrix's name.

"Cousin...darling cousin...have you thought any more of our offer?" Bellatrix asked with a smile.

"Yes I have. You can still stuff your offer." Sirius spat. He turned to Regulus. "Mark my words, Regulus, you will regret joining the Death Eaters."

"Oh, I think it is you that will have regrets..." Bellatrix smiled, lifting her wand lazily. Before it was even fully pointed, a fist collided with her face. All three Blacks turned to stare at Hermione, who was standing there, fist balled, pulling her arm back for another blow.

"What the hell, Gurgeon!" Bellatrix had been one of the few Slytherins that hadn't accepted Hermione when she'd started hanging out with Lucius. Now, she was cupping her bleeding nose and cursing. The intensity of her cursing doubled moments later when Hermione punched her again.

"Bugger off, Black." Maya hissed, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Both of you!" Bellatrix gave Hermione a dark glare before running off with Regulus.

"Bloody HELL, Maya!" Sirius said, softly. "What was that about?"

"I don't like her." Hermione said, simply, massaging her sore knuckles.

"I guess!" Sirius stared after his cousin and brother, eyes wide.

Hermione rolled her eyes and took off the body binds on the other eight. "Come on." She said. "I suddenly feel like some Hot cocoa by the fire." She walked inside, leaving the others to stare after her in amazement.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Ginny interrupted. "Hermione's hot tempered but she wouldn't punch somebody for trying to pick a fight! What did your cousin do that was so bad?" She asked Sirius.

"Ginny..." Harry said. "Bellatrix was the one who cursed Sirius and sent him through the veil." He paused to take a mug of hot chocolate from Molly Weasley, who'd come into Ron's room- for indeed, they had moved to the Burrow so that Lucius and Draco could join them.

"Ohhh." Ginny said, comprehension dawning. She looked up at Sirius. "I think you should know...Hermione's had a crush on you since our third year."

"WHAT!" Ron and Harry yelped together. Sirius just smiled wearily.

"Really...you sound as if Hermione's never looked at a guy except for as a different species!" Ginny scolded the boys.

"We didn't think she had!" Ron gasped.

"Oh, that sure explains Krum." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Go on, Sirius."

"Wait a minute!" Ron protested. "I want to hear more about this crush, Gin!"

"Spare us." Draco moaned.

"Shove off, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.

"Watch your tongue, Harry!" Remus snapped.

"Sorry Professor."

Ginny and Draco exchanged glances before turning to Sirius and chiming together. "GO. ON. SIRIUS!" Remus, Lucius, and Severus exchanged amused glances while Ron and Harry stared, slack-jawed, and Sirius gave another tiny smile. He didn't speak for a long time, so Lucius gently prompted him.

"Hermione and Sirius began spending every waking moment with each other..."

"Not true." Sirius said, softly. "But almost. When she wasn't with me, she was with the band..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

A knock came from the portrait hole leading into the practice room and Lily went to answer the door. Maya was standing on stage, just beginning to play with Lucius as Sirius and James walked into the room and looked around.

**You're the real tough cookie with the long history**

**Of breaking little hearts like the one in me!**

**That's O.K. let's see how you do it**

**Put up your dukes and let's get down to it!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Why don't you hit me with your best shot!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Fire away!**

**You come on with a "come on", you don't fight fair**

**But that's O.K. see if I care!**

**Knock me down, it's all in vain**

**I'll get right back on my feet again!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Why don't you hit me with you rbest shot!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Fire away!**

Maya stepped forward and began to play a solo, dancing around the stage like a fool as she did...completely lacking the suave moves she used on stage normally.

"Maya will hate that you've seen her when she's fooling around!" Lily called over the din of Maya's guitar.

"She won't hex us, will she?" James looked worried.

"Naw!" Narcissa called. "She'll just get embarrassed!"

**Well you're the real tough cookie with the long history**

**Of breaking little hearts like the one in me!**

**Before I put another notch in my lipstick case**

**You better make sure you put me in my place!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Why don't you hit me with your best shot!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Fire away!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Why don't you hit me with your best shot!**

**Hit me with your best shot!**

**Fire away! **Hermione finished off the song before she looked up and saw that James and Sirius were there. She felt heat flooding into her face as she squealed.

"How long have you two **_been_** there!" She asked.

"Long enough to see that you're not nearly so suave when you're not in front of an audience!" James teased. Sirius just smiled as he watched his girlfriend turn an even brighter red.

"I like having fun!" Maya protested, still blushing fiercely.

"You sure know a lot of songs, Maya." Sirius broke in, saving his girlfriend from any more embarrassment, as cute as she was when she blushed.

"Oh, I suppose that's because my parents were muggles." She said, shrugging carelessly. Sirius blinked and Lucius and Severus looked at her in surprise.

"I thought you went to Durmstrang." Lucius said.

"Mhm."

"And...they let you in with muggle parents?"

"Oh..." Hermione pulled something off of the top of her head. "My Aunt and Uncle were a witch and wizard. They're quite powerful, really..." She picked up a chip and took a bite, swallowing before continuing, casually. "They pulled a few strings." She stood there munching on her chip, outwardly calm while her heart beat faster and faster...praying that they'd believe her.

"Oh. Okay." Lucius said. "Bla...ack, I mean..." He caught her glare. "Sirius was right. You **do** know a lot of songs."

"Thank you." Hermione smiled, glad to have gotten off of the hook. "My best friends there used to tease me about it. I even managed to smuggle a few muggle music players. Pissed the teachers off, royally." Truth. In her sixth year, she'd managed to make not only a small portable CD player, but an entire sound system work. McGonagall had gone apeshit...to say nothing of Snape. She'd thought, at the time, that he'd been mad because it was a muggle song that she'd blasted in his classroom.

The song that she'd blasted was the one she'd just finished singing...Hit Me With Your Best Shot.

She had a feeling that whatever had happened to her in this time...it wasn't going to leave her friends very happy. At all.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Hey Gurgeon!" Maya stopped walking between Sirius and Lucius and turned around. Bellatrix was walking towards her, wand out.

"What do you want, Black?" As the warmth in Maya's voice evaporated, her best friend and her boyfriend both looked at her in surprise. They had never seen Maya flat dislike someone...not even Regulus who harassed her at every available moment...but she despised even the sound of Bellatrix's voice.

"Just wondering if you would invite me the next time you, my cousin, and Malfoy here have a threesome. I'd love to get some blackmail pictures."

"Why you..." Sirius began, but Maya cut him off.

"Oh of COURSE, Bellatrix." She cooed. "In fact, we're having one tonight. Just stop on over." She turned and walked away, dragging the two speechless boys by the hands.

"What was that about, Maya?" Lucius stammered when he finally got his voice back. "We're not..!"

"Of course we're not! But she doesn't need to know that." Maya smirked...and the cruelty of that one look made Sirius shiver. "And I ran out of people to prank when I started dating Sirius and Lils started dating James. I'm afraid I might be out of practice!" The smirk fell away and all that was left was ice. "Bellatrix Black is the PERFECT target. Especially since I hate her so."

Lucius and Sirius stopped as she flounced ahead of them into the great hall, ignoring the looks exchanged behind her back.

Hermione rolled her eyes silently. She couldn't explain to them why she hated Bellatrix so. Hell...she couldn't even explain it to herself. Harry was the one who was close to Sirius in her own time...

Harry.

Ron.

She managed not to think of them most of the time now, but it was still there...an ache deep in the back of her heart. She wanted so desperately to be back in her own time...curled up in bed with the two of them reading stories. It was a tradition they'd begun the year before. Harry had had too many nightmares, and so the Golden Trio had gone to Professor Dumbledore and asked for a room apart from the other dormitories...one where they could curl up together and just hold each other. Of course...the way they'd worded it had made it sound more for safety purposes than anything else. The fact remained that it had worked. The three of them had begun sleeping in the same room together. Hell, the same BED together, curled up to each other for safety and warmth.

Their love went beyond hormones. It was the love she and Lucius now shared...the love that let them curl up naked and not feel a bit of anything besides that love. The love that they had made sure Sirius and Narcissa both knew that they could not break apart...for it would not work. It was the love that made Sirius and Narcissa jealous...for the two of them often escaped together to talk, just the two of them...and yet it was a foolish jealousy...one that had no grounds.

That night, Hermione approached Dumbledore at dinner and asked to speak with him. He'd given her the password to his office and sent her on her way...meeting her promptly after dinner.

"What can I do for you Miss Gurgeon?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling.

"I was wondering if...maybe..." Hermione hesitated. "Could Snake's Halo and The Marauders have a separate dormitory? It would promote inter-house relations and..." She stopped as Dumbledore held up a hand.

"Say no more, Miss Gurgeon. I understand." Albus said, eyes twinkling. He'd seen this coming from the beginning...she was an outlaw in her own common room...it was only right that she should want to be somewhere else to cling to her closest friends. And after all she'd lost, Albus couldn't bear letting the young woman suffer any more than she obviously already was. "I have already prepared a common room for you and your friends. Come, I will take you there."

"Yes, Professor..." Hermione stood and followed the Headmaster, silently. He led her down a familiar corridor and stopped before a familiar statue. The statue of Merlin the Great.

"Professor Purdie's Purple Plum Pudding." Dumbledore said, and the statue slowly stepped aside to reveal a small door. Dumbledore produced ten keys and handed them to Hermione, who smiled and opened the door, stepping inside. "You may also access this common room from the Gryffindor Tower and the Slytherin Dungeons. At the statues of the Gryffindor Lion and the Slytherin Serpent. The passwords there are 'Courage' for the Lion and 'Salamander' for the Serpent. You need the key to open it from each place, as well as the password. You will be quite protected in here, Miss Gurgeon."

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said, softly, remembering everything quickly.

"Your things were moved as we came into this room. As the others enter, their things will also be moved. Please allow no others in here besides yourselves, Miss Gurgeon." Professor Dumbledore looked very grave. "Your key will only work for you. Any copies, magical or non, will be useless." She already knew all of this, of course, but she let him continue anyways. "Now...I will leave you to get your friends and bring them here yourself. Good day, Miss Gurgeon." He paused. "Oh, and it might be profitable to know that mine is the only key that can be successfully magically copied is my own. Which I keep quite safe." He stepped out.

Hermione ran to the portrait of Lily and James...the Head Girl and Boy. In her time, her picture would be up there...as would Harry's. Pushing open the portrait, Hermione stepped into the small hallway that would lead her to the door which would let her out into the Gryffindor Common Room. She opened the door and stepped out.

"Oi! Blimey, Maya!" James yelled. "Where did you come from!"

"I got news!" Hermione bounced over the back of one of the sofas and landed in Sirius' lap.

"Spill!" Lily said.

"Well...I talked to Dumbledore...and we have our own common room."

"WHAT!" The others shrieked.

"Well, we'll be sharing with the rest of Snake's Halo and Narcissa as well, but that's beside the point. Ten of us in our own common room." Hermione handed out the keys. "Come on, I'll show you." She stood up and walked out of the common room, leading the way to the main entrance to the new one. "Professor Purdie's Purple Plum Pudding." She recited, calmly. She heard the snickers from the others behind her as she slipped her key into the lock and opened it, leading the way inside.

"Wicked!" James said, looking around.

"Mhm...I'll be back guys, you look around. I need to go get Lucius and the others."

"Hey Maya." Lily said. "Can we get in through the Gryffindor Common Room, too?"

"Oh, yeah. The password there is 'Courage' and it's the statue of the lion."

"Okay." Lily said, wandering into the kitchen that had been included. Maya hurried to the portrait of the Four Founders and opened it, slipping through to the Slytherin Common Room.

Poking her head out, she called softly. "Lucius! Severus!" After a moment, the two men stepped down a few stairs.

"Maya? What the hell?" Severus yelped, staring at her as she lounged on one of the chairs. "How did you get in here?"

"Through our new common room." She grinned, holding up the keys for Trevor, Severus, Lucius, and Narcissa.

"Wait...what?" Lucius asked. "New common room?"

"Mhm. I talked Dumbledore into it. Go grab Cissa and Trev and I'll take you to the main entrance." When they were all settled in, Hermione sat in Sirius' lap, curling against his chest as the ten teenagers talked softly about the rise of the Dark Lord Voldemort and all that it implied. It was late when they finally fell into bed...dreaming of pleasant times and friends.


	6. Chapter 5: Challenging Fate

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I owned ANY of this stuff, do you think I'd be writing fanfics online? No, I'd be writing books and getting lots and lots of money! The songs will be listed, for those of you who demanded a list of the songs, at the VERY END of the fic. That means, once it's all tied up and concluded, you'll be able to read the band names and albums that contributed to this work.**

**A big thanks and a shoutout goes to:**

**Jinger – Thank you. Lol...I keep forgetting that you guys are about two chapters behind me because I'm trying to keep ahead for the sake of the updates. Let's just say that I'm especially proud of the chapter I just finished and it's a bit frustrating that I can't post it until next week. As for the common room...Writer's creative liberties. Gotta love them. As for Bella and Maya...I had to get Bella in there somewhere or the events in later chapters wouldn't make sense. What better way to put her in than in a rivalry with Maya?**

**amrawo – I'm glad you like it, and the songs within it. As I've stated in several disclaimers now, I'll have a full list of the songs at the end of the fic so that you can go back and listen to them while you read. **

**Sermione101 – Yeah, it did take a while. I was on a bit of a writer's block during chapter 5 for a long time, so I had to find a way to get it finished up. It's not my favorite chapter, but it's a fairly good transition chapter, I feel.**

**evil-mastermind666 – I'm glad you liked my battle of the bands idea. The songs I choose, like I said, all have a meaning to me- or I feel that they fit that particular point in the story. You'll see what I mean later. And...Lucius doesn't know that she's a mudblood. He knows that Lily is, but Maya- until recently- has NEVER specified one way or another on her bloodline. Also, when it comes to the common room, I claim the liberties that I'm allowed to take as a writer. **

**Bob With the Really Long Really Cool Name That I'm too Lazy to Type – Be careful! There are more updates coming! Don't want to lose the privilege to read Kicking Buckets now, do you? Hehe. Well...here you go. Chapter 5. You get to read stuff that you haven't already read! Yippee!**

**FredWeasleyLover1126 – Glad you like it.**

**hpobsessor – I'm glad you had fun with it! Unfortunately, now I have to leave behind the humor of the entire situation and get down to the seriousness, as the story begins to come to its close. Sigh.**

**The Gryffindor Drummer – I'm glad you enjoyed it. And...considering that I promised an update a week, three weeks is a "wee" much.**

**Raspberri13 – Glad you enjoy it!**

**Moony'sMate – I'm glad you like it so much.**

**peacock5 - I know exactly how it feels not being able to hear something while you're reading or writing something...in fact, setting them in there is a several-step process that you probably don't want to hear about right now. Also, I figured that Lucius would just waltz in. It's not like anyone's paying much attention right now...they're all too busy missing Hermione. I did put a bit of a back story up in the chapter after this one...but unfortunately, this is a story about Hermione and not really about anyone else...so I don't feel that I should spend too much time on Lucius and his ability to just waltz in.**

_**Okay. Another wopper of a chapter. However, I have a request for all of you. I have ended the sixth chapter at a place where the story itself can stop. So, my request is this: I need you to vote on whether or not Hermione and Sirius will be reunited in the present! If you say nay, then the story will end. If you say yea, then I will present another vote to you in the next chapter to determine whether to continue Kicking Buckets or begin anew.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Allison**_

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Lalala Chapter 5** **Lalala**

"Wow...you guys really were close." Harry said, softly.

"Yes...we were." Lucius said. "But...Maya was the glue that held us together."

"Without Maya around to be the bridge between us, we wouldn't have been nearly so close." Remus said. Sirius had fallen, sobbing, into Lucius' arms nearly to the end of the tale and Severus had had to finish. Lucius held his best friend's love quietly, one hand awkwardly on his back.

"What the hell? You were best friends with the mudblood!" Draco asked, a disgusted look on his face.

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE, DRACO!" Lucius was out of his seat before the last word was completely out of his son's mouth, a look of rage on his face like none Draco had ever seen before. Remus and Severus lunged to grab the elder Malfoy's arms and hold him back.

"Lucius! He's your son!" Severus said, urgently.

"THEN YOU WON'T MIND IF I KILL HIM!" Lucius strained against their hold on him, fighting to reach his son.

"Lucius! Maya wouldn't want you to harm him! THINK about what you're about to do!" Remus said.

Lucius slowly calmed down, sitting down and taking a deep breath. "You're right. She wouldn't want me to harm him just for being a useless little shit. I...I don't think I can tell this next part. It...it's your turn, Severus."

"Perhaps..." Remus said, softly. "I should tell this part." When the attention shifted to him, he looked at the teenagers as he began to speak. "Maya and Bellatrix Black soon began an all out war. It escalated from harmless pranks to not-so-harmless pranks...and finally their schedules had to be adjusted so that they never set foot near each other. But still, they fought. Bellatrix may not have known why Maya hated her so fiercely...but since Maya had, in Bellatrix's eyes, turned Severus, Lucius, Trevor, and Cissa away from the Dark Arts, she needed no other excuse..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"You look a bit wet, Gurgeon." Bellatrix sneered from the edge of the lake, watching Hermione tread water.

"Bugger off, Black." Hermione snapped, gripping her wand and whispering. "Petrificus Totalus." Before Bellatrix knew exactly what was happening, she fell face first into the lake. Hermione swam to the bank and climbed out, shoving Bellatrix out into the deep water before undoing the body bind.

"I'll get you for this, Gurgeon!"

"I've heard that one before, Black." Maya sneered as she walked towards the castle to change her clothes. Sirius and Remus watched her from one side until she hit the doors to the great hall, and then they looked over at Bellatrix, who stomped after her. Watching her storm through the doors a couple of minutes after Maya, they shook their heads and sighed.

"This is getting out of hand..." Sirius muttered.

"Yes it is." Remus said. "Sirius, I think you should really talk to your cousin."

"What about Maya?"

"I think we'd better let Lucius handle that. She'd take it best from him..." Remus said. "No offence, man."

"None taken." Sirius said...though it pained him to admit it, Remus was right. Maya would take a talking to on this subject much better from Lucius than she would from Sirius.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Maya sat in the common room playing her guitar when Lucius walked up to her. He'd just been talking to Remus, who was listening from the stairs, and he'd fully agreed.

"Hey Maya..." Lucius said.

"Oh, hey Lucius." Hermione smiled. "Sup?"

"Not much. Listen, Maya...we're worried about you."

"Who's we?" She looked instantly alert. He winced. He would have to take this carefully...step by step.

"All of us...your friends." He said.

"Oh..." She relaxed fractionally. "What are you worried about?"

"Well...you and Bellatrix have had this sort of vendetta going on against each other and none of us know why." He winced when she stiffened at Bellatrix's name...only relaxing when she did.

"Oh, is that all?" She asked. "She killed..." She stopped suddenly, a stricken look on her face. Gulping, she continued. "She killed a...a...a dog...that I liked." She stuttered, finally grasping at Sirius' animagus form with relief. "And she laughed while doing it."

"Oh..." Lucius quieted. He wouldn't put it past Bellatrix Black to do just that. "I'm sorry. But...this cannot go on, Maya...You'll kill each other. We're all worried about you."

Maya looked at him. She hadn't realized that her battles might be affecting her friends too...and at the sight of Lucius' worry, she sighed. "Okay, Lucius. I will hold my temper around Bellatrix, provided that she does not strike first. If she strikes first, she's fair game."

"Agreed." Lucius said, sealing the bargain with a hug.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

An uneasy truce between Bellatrix and Hermione due to the talking tos that they had gotten from Lucius and Sirius lasted a solid month before exams. After their last exam, Bellatrix tripped Hermione on her way out of a classroom. Hermione had come to her feet shouting hexes, and when she'd left, it had taken Professors Evenstar, McGonagall, **_and_** Dumbledore along with Madame Pomfrey eight hours to put Bellatrix right again.

The next day, Bellatrix had gotten the drop on Hermione...and it had taken Madame Promfrey a solid hour of undoing spells to fix the brunette.

These events continued right up to Graduation...and Hermione had eventually had enough of it and put a repelling spell on her of her own make. Any time Bellatrix was within fifty feet of the Gryffindor, she went flying backwards to land ungracefully on her ass. Maya would then take this opportunity to hex the other witch senseless before walking off.

On the day of Graduation, Snake's Halo was to play at the school-wide graduation party that was being held directly after graduation. Hermione had discussed things with her friends, and they were all going in on one giant house. Of course, the Slytherins and Gryffindors would NOT share rooms. Heaven forbid they should be in a room without Hermione around. So the couples had their rooms and the singles were together as well. Professors McGonagall and Evenstar had both helped to provide all of Hermione's things and she was now fully ready to go out and face life on her own.

"Maya!" She turned and saw Sirius standing there.

"Sirius! What are you doing? You should be in line!"

"Don't worry...I have a few moments..." Sirius said, dropping to one knee. "Maya Gurgeon...will you marry me?"

Hermione stared at him, a smile on her face, a yes forming at her lips, when she stopped. Sirius had never been married in her time... "I'm sorry, Sirius...I can't right now. Not until I know where life is leading me. Ask me in a year." She said softly, kissing him. "I love you...but with this war going on, I want to know that I have a future, first." She saw the way his face fell, and she cursed herself to the Seven Hells inside. _You know the law...you know what you are risking..._ She just couldn't change history! "I promise, I'll marry you someday..." She whispered, taking the engagement ring. "I swear it on my honor as a witch."

And with that, Sirius had to be content, for his name was called and away he went.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

The four Hogwarts students and the adults looked up as someone knocked on the door and Trevor Zabini walked in with his son, Blaise and Narcissa Malfoy. "We heard." Was all Narcissa said, walking over and putting her arms around Sirius. He turned his face into her shoulder, taking comfort in her presence. Draco and Harry exchanged glances before they turned to Remus.

"Was the Graduation Party a success, Professor?" Draco asked. Ginny and Ron turned their attention to the werewolf as well.

"Yes." They were suprised by the elder Zabini's voice. "It was. You see...Maya surprised all of us when she did something nobody had ever expected her to do. You see, Maya may have loved Sirius with all of her heart, but to the rest of our knowledge, she had yet to sing a song with him. But that day...Lucius and Maya stepped forward and made an announcement."

"It was a great surprise to all of us...even the Mauraders." Narcissa said, softly, looking at Trevor and nodding.

"That day...Maya invited the Mauraders onto the stage to play with us." He said.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"HOW IS EVERYBODY ON THIS FINE AFTERNOON?" Maya called into the mic. When the screams died down, she laughed. "Well, it's about to get a WHOLE LOT BETTER!" Caught by the change in her voice, the crowd of Graduates roared once more. "See...we, Snake's Halo, are going to invite our friends, The Mauraders, onto the stage to play a few songs with us!" The band in question stared at the young woman on the stage as the rest of the crowd went wild once more.

"While they run to get their instruments..." Maya winked at Sirius before glancing at Lucius, who nodded. Maya motioned to Narcissa, who was already halfway to the stage, and Lily who was standing in the back with her guitar. Lily put down the guitar and stepped up to one of the back-up mics. Narcissa took the other back-up mic from Lucius and Hermione remained standing in her place at the center of the stage as the other two flanked her. (RegularActions, **Bold Hermione**, _Italic Narcissa and Lily_, **_BoldItalicAll_**) Severus began, followed by Lucius and Hermione.

**Your love is like a tidal wave**

**Spinnin' over my head**

**Drownin' me in your promises**

**Better left unsaid**

_You're the right kind of sinner_

_To release my inner fantasy_

_The events of a winner_

_And you know that you were born to be_

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**_Love taker_ don't you mess around with me**

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**_Love taker_ don't you mess around no no no**

**Your love it set my soul on fire**

**Burnin out of control**

**You taught me the ways of desire**

**Now it's taking its toll**

_You're the right kind of sinner_

_To release my inner fantasy_

_The events of a winner_

_And you know that you were born to be_

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**_Love taker_ don't you mess around with me**

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**_Love taker_ don't you mess around no no no**

Maya and Lucius began to play a duet with their guitars, never looking at each other as they moved easily together...fingers flying across the chords identically.

_You're the right kind of sinner_

_To release my inner fantasy_

_The events of a winner_

_And you know that you were born to be_

All music stopped as Hermione grabbed the mic with both hands.

**You're a Heartbreaker**

**Dreammaker**

**Love taker don't you mess around with me **Severus and Lucius began playing again with a passion.

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**_Love taker_ don't you mess around with me**

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**_Love taker_ don't you mess around with me**

**You're a _Heartbreaker_**

_**Dreammaker**_

**Love taker _Heartbreaker! _**Hermione, Lucius and Severus brought the song home as they played the final instrumental break and hit the ending chords.

The crowd went crazy as Maya smiled and nodded to her backup singers easily. By this time, the Mauraders were tuning up their instruments and were moving up onto the stage. Narcissa surrendered her mic to Sirius, and Lily surrendered hers to James as she gave him a quick kiss and stepped back to her normal spot on Center Right, just in front of Trevor and Pudge on Upstage Right. The drum sets were clustered in a small circle with Remus and Severus sitting back to back with their sides out to the audience on Upstage Left. Another mic was conjured from somewhere for Lucius, who was standing on Down Stage Right with James beside him. Sirius was beside James, and Maya was standing on Down Stage Left near her mic.

(A/N: Those are theatre terms...just imagine standing on a stage and looking out into your audience. Now...place yourself at the very back of the stage. That's Upstage. To your right and left, towards the wings...or the part of the stage that the audience doesn't see because the curtains hide it...are Upstage Right and Upstage Left. Keep in mind that we're talking about YOUR right and left, not the audience's. Now, move down into the very middle of the stage. That's Center Stage. To your right and left are Center Right and Center Left. The forward edge of the Stage is Downstage...and to either side of you are Downstage Right and Downstage Left. Now...on with the story)

(A/N: **Bold Lucius and Sirius, **_Italics Maya and James, **BoldItalics All, **_Regular Actions.)

**ba da ba da da da ah ya ya**

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

_ba da ba da da da ah ya ya_

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

**Ba ya ha ya ah ah ah ah ah ba ba ya ya**

_ha ah ah ah ah ah ah_

_ba da ba da da da ah ya ya_

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

_ba da ba da da da ah ya ya_

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

**Ba ya ha ya ah ah ah ah ah ba ba ya ya**

_ha ah ah ah ah ah ah_

**There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea.**

**You became the light on the dark side of me.**

**Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill.**

**But did you know,**

**That when it snows,**

**My eyes become large and,**

**The light that you shine can be seen.**

**Baby,**

**I compare you to a _kiss from a rose on the grey_**.

**Ooh,**

**The more I get of you,**

_**Stranger it feels, yeah. **_

**And now that your _rose is is in bloom._**

**A light hits the _gloom on the grey._**

_ba da ba da da da ah ya ya_

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

_ba da ba da da da ah ya ya_

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

**Ba ya ha ya ah ah ah ah ah ba ba ya ya**

_ha ah ah ah ah ah ah_

**There is so much a man can tell you,**

**So much he can say.**

_there's so much inside._

**You remain,**

_**My power, my pleasure, my pain, baby **_

**To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny.. yeah. **

**Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby?**

_**But did you know,**_

_**That when it snows,**_

_**My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.**_

**Baby, **

_I've...been... kissed_

**I compare you to a kiss _from a rose on the grey_.**

_**Ooh, the more I get of you**_

_**Stranger it feels, yeah**_

**Now that your _rose is in bloom. _**

_**A light hits the gloom on the grey, **_

_I've been kissed by a rose on the grey,_

_I've been kissed by a rose **on the grey**_

_I've been kissed by a rose on the grey,_

**...And if I should fall, at all**

_I've been kissed by a rose on the grey_

**There is so much a man can tell you,**

**So much he can say.**

_there's so much inside._

**You remain**

**_My power, my pleasure, my pain_**.

**To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, yeah**

**Won't you tell me is that healthy, baby.**

**But did you _know_,**

**That when it _snows_,**

**My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen.**

**Baby, **

_I've...been... kissed_

**I compare you to a kiss _from a rose on the grey._**

**_Ooh_, the more I get of you**

**_Stranger it feels_, yeah**

**Now that your rose is in bloom, **

**A light hits the gloom on the grey. **

**Yes I compare you to a kiss _from a rose on the grey_**

_I've...been kissed_

**Ooh, the more I get of you**

**_Stranger it feels_, yeah**

**And now that your rose is in bloom **

_aah-ee-aah..._

**A light hits the gloom on the grey **

_aah-ee-aah..._

_ba da ba da da da ah ya ya_

_ba da da da ba ba ee ah_

**Ba ya ya ba ba de ba da da da ah ya ya**

**Now that your rose is in bloom, **

**A light hits the gloom on the grey. **

On impulse, Sirius grabbed Maya at the end of the song, as Lucius and James were finishing the last of the lyrics, harmonizing beautifully, and kissed her deeply. The audience went wild as one of Hogwarts' favorite couples publically expressed their love. Maya laughed and picked up a microphone, lifting it to her lips. "Hogwarts class of 1986...guess what!" As they quieted, Maya paused and looked around, smiling for a moment before taking a deep breath. "WE MADE IT!" They went wild and she lifted her guitar again, beginning to play.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

Hermione shifted, feeling the comfort of Sirius' arm across her torso as she came to wakefulness. Why was she awake? Something had woke her, without her knowledge. Letting out a silent groan, she slid away from her sleeping fiance and picked up her robe from its place on a chair near the bathroom door, sliding it on and tying it securely. Walking down into the den of the giant mansion that she and her friends inhabited, she looked around silently. Seeing nothing, she sighed slipped into the kitchen. There, she saw Narcissa crying silently.

"Cissa? What's wrong?" Hermione hurried forward, silently wrapping her arms around the other young woman.

"I think I'm pregnant, Maya." Narcissa whispered, turning her tear-streaked face to Hermione. Hermione felt her eyes widening. _Draco..._

"Have you tested your theory?" She asked gently.

"N-not yet." Narcissa sniffed. Hermione smiled gently.

"Well, then, what are you waiting for?"

"I'm afraid that Lucius...that he..." Narcissa just looked down.

"That he won't want it?" Hermione asked, suddenly understanding. When Narcissa nodded, she bit back the urge to laugh. Just the weekend before at Snake's Halo's last concert, Lucius had expressed to her the fierce desire that he felt to be a father. "Trust me, Cissa, that will be the farthest thing from his mind."

"Are you sure, Maya?" Narcissa asked softly. Hermione smiled.

"Positive. Now...go on up to bed, Cissa." She said, watching as the other girl walked out of the room before smiling and pouring herself a cup of hot cider from the pot that Narcissa had already made. She didn't stop to remember that they were only eighteen, and barely that, and that Harry and Draco wouldn't be born until the year 1988. She just slipped into the den and sat on the sofa, sipping the cider and thinking to herself.

"Maya?" She turned to see Lucius standing in the doorway.

"Lucius. You should be asleep." She said mildly.

"So should you." He walked in and sat with her. "What are you thinking about?"

"The future." Her voice was soft. "Where will we be? What are we going to do when the band loses popularity? That sort of thing." She lied through her teeth...she knew. Of course she did. She didn't know how her trip to the past had changed things...but her theory was sound. She didn't believe that history could be changed. So she had been here, in essence, before she'd ever been here.

"Whatever happens, we'll make it...and we'll be together doing so." Lucius said, smiling and sitting beside her, slipping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned comfortably against his chest. "Nothing, after all, will ever tear us apart." Hermione smiled and let herself be comforted by his words, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep intwined in his arms.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"I had an older sibling?" Draco asked in surprise. Narcissa and Lucius looked at each other for several long moments before Narcissa shifted her grip on the miserable Sirius and sighed.

"It is best, I think, that I tell this part." She said. Lucius nodded quietly, and Trevor sat down silently.

"I never managed to tell Lucius." Narcissa said. "You see, when Snake's Halo had a concert, Lucius would take me, as Maya would take Sirius. Most of the time we sat backstage. This time, though, Sirius wanted to go into the Mosh Pit. I agreed to go with him, just to make Maya feel better..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Spin a little tighter!**

_**Come on Come on**_

**And the world's a little brighter!**

_**Come on Come on**_

**Just get yourself in side my _love_**

**I'm in love! **Lucius and Maya struck their final chords and grinned at each other.

Lucius winked down at Narcissa, who was grinning and looking a bit the worse for wear from the violence of the Mosh Pit. Maya paused and lifted up her microphone. "HOW'S EVERYONE DOING TONIGHT!" The entirity of the crowd let out a roar and Maya grinned. "Well...here's a tidbit for you! That surprise that we promised tonight? Well...we've just come out with two new songs." The roar was deafening this time, and Maya was laughing as she took a step back and looked to Lucius.

(NOTE: **BoldHermione**, _ItalicsLucius_, **_BoldItalicsBoth_**, RegularActions)

**_Shot through the heart _**Hermione let her guitar hang and grabbed the mic stand with both hands.

_**And you're to blame**_

**Darlin' you give love a bad name **Everybody began playing, save for Hermione, who just let her guitar hang as she sang. Lucius took the guitar solo of the introduction.

**An angel's smile is what you sell  
You promise me heaven, then put me through hell  
Chains of love got a hold on me  
When passion's a prison, you can't break free**

**Ohhh **_You're a loaded gun  
_**Ohhh **_There's nowhere to run_ Hermione picked up her guitar, simply holding it._  
No one can save me  
**The damage is done**_

**_Shot through the heart  
And you're to blame_**  
**_You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name  
_You give love...a bad name _  
_**  
**You paint your smile on your lips  
Blood red nails on your fingertips **Hermione held up her hands, turning the backs towards the audience to see that she'd painted her fingernails a violent red. Seeing it, the Audience went wild. Hermione couldn't see Narcissa or Sirius, but she didn't have the time right now to look.**  
A school boy's dream, you act so shy  
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye **Hermione lifted her guitar once more.

**Ohhh **_You're a loaded gun  
_**Ohhh **_There's nowhere to run_ _  
No one can save me  
**The damage is done**_

**_Shot through the heart  
and you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name_**  
**You give loooove...**

Hermione and Lucius began playing once more, their fingers flying across the strings of their guitars. There was a call for an ambulance beneath, but Hermione paid it no mind, figuring it to be some fool in the Mosh pit who couldn't handle the heat. Happened every now and then.****

_Shot through the heart_ Hermione simply kept her guitar in hand, playing along with Lucius as they sang.**_  
and you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name_**

Shot through the heart  
and you're to blame  
You give love a bad name  
I play my part and you play your game  
You give love a bad name

You give love...  
_A bad name  
_**You give love...  
**_A bad name  
_**You give love...  
**_A bad name!_ They hit the final chords and stepped back from the microphones, breathing heavily and grinning at each other. The smiles didn't last, however, as they grimly watched the mediwitches carting someone away with a man standing beside what must have been his wife. Exchanging glances, the two of them simply bowed their heads in respect for a moment before shifting their instruments. Hermione placed hers aside and took the microphone off of the stand, handing the stand to Severus who put it off to one side.

(AN: **Bold: Hermione, **_Italics: Severus, Italics Underline: Lucius and Trevor, Chanting_, **_BoldItalics: Severus and Hermione, _BoldUnderlined: Lucius and Hermione**)

Severus and Lucius began playing quickly for a few moments before Hermione brought the mic to her mouth.

**Catch me, as I fall**

**Say you're here and it's all over now**

**Speak in to the atmosphere**

**No one's here and I fall into myself**

**This truth drives me**

**Into madness**

**I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away**

**If I will it all away!**

**Don't turn away**Hermione flung one hand out across the croud.

_Don't give in to the pain_

**Don't try to hide **She brought a fist back, pressing it over her heart.

_Though they're screaming your name_

**Don't close your eyes **Hermione dropped her fist to her side

_God knows what lies behind them_

**Don't turn out the light **The spotlights on her disappeared as Lucius began playing his solo again for a few bars.

_Never sleep never die_

**I'm frightened by what I see! **The lights shone on her once more, she was standing in the middle of the stage.

**But somehow I know**

**That there's much more to come! **She froze in place.

**Immobilized, by my fear**

**And soon to be **Bringing one hand up, she hid her face with it.

**Blinded by tears**

**I can stop the pain if I will it all away**

**If I will it all away!**

**Don't turn away **Her actions mimicked her previous ones, flinging out a hand.

_Don't give in to the pain_

**Don't try to hide **She made a fist hard.

_Though they're screaming your name_

**Don't close your eyes **This time, her hand went upwards.

_God knows what lies behind them_

**Don't turn out the light **All lights save for the one on Severus disappeared, dropping the band into darkness so that Hermione's voice emerging in a blend with Severus' was twice as haunting.

_Never sleep never die_

**_Fallen angels at my feet _**Though the audience couldn't see it, she threw her fist downwards...

_**Whispered voices at my ear**_

_**Death before my eyes**_

**_Lying next to me I fear _**She brought one hand to her chest.

_**She becons me shall I give in**_

_**Upon my end shall I begin**_

**_Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end _**Hermione looked upwards as a single spotlight hit her face, toned to make her look like a ghost, one hand extending upwards. Through a set of pulleys rigged, she floated upwards for a few feet and hovered there for a moment.

Hermione let her voice rise in a haunting overtone that sounded like a ghost's wail just before Lucius began to play a beautiful but haunting solo. Her wail cut off with the explosion caused by the timed poppers that she'd thrown down at the beginning of her and Severus' duet. Hermione was lowered back to the ground slowly during the solo.

All instruments stopped as Lucius reached upwards to steady Hermione as her feet touched the ground.

**Don't turn away! **Lucius began playing again with a passion, as Hermione repeated her earlier actions one last time. They had timed it perfectly.

_Don't give in to the pain_

**Don't try to hide**

_Though they're screaming your name_

**Don't close your eyes**

_God knows what lies behind them_

**Don't turn out the light**

_Never sleep never die_

_Servatis a periculum_

**Don't turn away**

_Don't give in to the pain_

_Servatis a maleficum_

**Don't try to hide**

_Though they're screaming your name_

_Servatis a peliculum_

**Don't close your eyes **Instead of taking her voice down, Hermione raised it in an elegant dip.

_God knows what lies behind them_

_Servatis a maleficum_

**Don't turn out the light**

_Never sleep never die_

_Servatis a periculum_

**Don't turn away!**

_Don't give in to the pain_

_Servatis a maleficum_

**Don't try to hide**

_Though they're screaming your name_

_Servatis a periculum_

**Don't close your eyes **Again, she dragged out the last word, raising it easily.

_God knows what lies behind them_

_Servatis a maleficum_

**Don't turn out the light**

_Never sleep never die_

_Servatis a periculum_

_Servatis a maleficum_

_Servatis a periculum_

_Servatis a maleficum_

_Servatis a periculum_

_Servatis a maleficum_

_Servatis a peliculum_

_Servatis a maleficum..._

Lucius met Maya's eye and grinned as the croud erupted. That was the end of the concert, and the finale was all that they could have asked for. They bowed one last time and a magical mist engulfed the stage. When it cleared, no sign of the band remained and the croud went wild once more. Back at their van, Maya and Lucius waited for Sirius and Narcissa to apperate to them. When they didn't after ten minutes, the friends looked at each other and frowned deeply. It wasn't like Sirius and Narcissa to keep them waiting.

"Maybe they're meeting us back at the house?" Maya asked, though Lucius could tell that she was worried, too. He nodded and they finished loading everything into the van and excused themselves to Severus and Trevor, apparating to the mansion that the group shared. Lily and James were waiting for them, looking rather pale.

"What is it?" Maya asked, as Lucius gripped her hand for support. "What's happened?"

"Sirius just flooed...he had to rush Narcissa to the hospital when someone elbowed her in the stomach." Lily said.

"No..." Maya whispered. Lucius looked up at Lily, turning even paler than before.

"She's having a miscarriage." Lily said, her face still unnaturally pale. Before the sentence was fully out of her mouth, Maya was tugging Lucius to the fireplace, where she snatched up some floo powder and threw it in.

"St. Mungos!" She shouted clearly, disappearing. Lucius, in a daze, felt James pushing him into the fire and echoing Maya's words. When he stumbled out of the fireplace, he saw Sirius holding Maya. After a long moment, she turned and drew Lucius into her warm embrace.

After a long time, a Mediwizard came up to them. "Is there a Mister Malfoy here?"

"I'm him..." Lucius said

"Sir...I'm afraid we couldn't save the baby. You may see Ms. Black now, however..." Lucius nodded brokenly and stepped into the room. He looked down at Narcissa.

"I'm sorry, Lucius." Narcissa whispered. "I lost our baby..."

"Shh...don't worry...it's not your fault, my love..." Lucius whispered, kissing her. "You just...get better."

"I was going to tell you tonight..." Narcissa whispered with tears in her eyes.

"Shh, my love..." Lucius held her until the potions she'd been given took effect and she dropped off to sleep...and then he ran out of St. Mungos and to the nearest bar.

"You knew." He didn't look up, several hours later, when Maya walked into the bar. It wasn't a question.

"I did. I told her to tell you."

"WHY DIDN'T **_YOU_** TELL ME!" He spun, lifting his hand to strike. She never moved, never flenched, and he pulled himself up short.

"It wasn't my place, Lucius, you know this."

"Why didn't she tell me in the first place!" A very drunken Lucius slumped on his barstool and dropped his head into his hands.

"She was afraid you wouldn't love the baby. That you weren't ready." Maya said, sitting beside him and rubbing his back as he sobbed in his misery.

"Wouldn't love...she's everything to me!"

"I know. But you haven't asked her to marry you, like James has Lily and Sirius has Me." She stated.

"I was waiting until...until her birthday." He pulled a ring box out of his robes and held it up before flinging it. Maya looked at him.

"Accio, Ring Box." She stated, holding out her hand to catch it. "Lucius. Do you love Narcissa?"

"With everything I am..." He slurred. She took his hand in hers.

"Then don't let this ruin that. It's not nearly as bad as your love is strong." She placed the ring in his hand and closed his fingers around it, kissing his forehead. "Come on, let's get you home..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"You really loved her, didn't you Mr. Malfoy." Harry's voice interrupted the silence that had fallen among the group gathered at the Burrow. "Hermione, I mean."

Lucius looked at Harry appraisingly for a long time. "Yes, Mr. Potter. I did." He sighed, looking into the distance. "She was the Maid of Honor at Cissa and I's wedding...as well as the Maid of Honor at James and Lily's wedding."

"Wait...what?" Harry asked. "Hold on..." He dove for his trunk, ruffling through it and finally pulling out a phot album. The rest of the room's occupants looked at him curiously as he took his seat on the bed once more and opened the album, flipping through it quickly before stopping. "There she is..." He said, softly, handing the album to Ron, who smiled sadly before handing it to Ginny. Ginny fought back tears as she handed it to Draco and Blaise...who were somber.

"Will we ever see her again?" Ginny voiced what all of the Gryffindors were likely thinking, tears beginning to fall.

"I do not know, little one." Lucius said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "But it grows late. You all have a train to catch tomorrow. Shall we continue this on your first weekend at Hogwarts? We will meet in Severus' classroom and go from there to a more comfortable place." After some consideration, all agreed, and the Slytherins all left, leaving the young Gryffindors to lay awake long into the night, thinking of their lost classmate.


	7. Chapter 6: Going Home

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I owned ANY of this stuff, do you think I'd be writing fanfics online? No, I'd be writing books and getting lots and lots of money! The songs will be listed, for those of you who demanded a list of the songs, at the VERY END of the fic. That means, once it's all tied up and concluded, you'll be able to read the band names and albums that contributed to this work.**

**A big thanks and a shoutout goes to:**

**Raspberri13 – I'm really glad you like the songs! And, you suck! Take me with you to Toronto to see Bon Jovi! Kidding. I'd better stay here in one of the coldest places in the US to update for all of you guys.**

**amrawo – I'm happy you enjoyed the length of that chapter. It was a tad longer than this one...but this one has more stuff scrunched into it. I had to fit almost three years worth of information into this one chapter.**

**hpobsessor – Well, Lucius is getting dangerously out of character...so I'm probably going to fling him back into character sometime within the next few chapters. And Draco...well, Draco's learning. Kinda.**

**Moony-Mione-Padfoot – I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.**

**evil-mastermind666 – TECHnically I can end it where ever I want. But where's the fun in that? Besides, I like seeing you guys beg. P**

**Idancer – Hehe. You'll just have to find out, won't you?**

**Alenor – I'm glad you like it so much. That's always gratifying to hear.**

**Sermione101 – Yes, as a matter of fact. It is not yet clinically proven (partially because the quacks scare me) but yes, I am Mad. OOH! COOKIE! NUM!**

**Bob Whose Name is too Long to Type – You and your cheering. I suppose you cheered again _this_ time, huh. Yeah, that's what I figured. And no more being late. For shame. P**

**ghzowy – Graduation? Nothing happened on Graduation...that was at a concert several months later. I guess I wasn't really clear on that.**

**DeepWaterAngel – I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hehe. Here's another chapter for you.**

**Badgurl13a – Well...you'll find out in this chapter what I meant by "reunited"**

_**Okay. You all voted pretty much unanimously for me to continue. Therefore, here is your next poll: Would you like me to post this new installment in the same story, as chapter 7, etc? Or would you like me to post it in a completely different place? New name, new summary, everything? I know what I'm rooting for...and I'll very likely veto the other suggestion, but I want to hear what you all have to say about it. Now...here you go. The last chapter of this particular installment of Kicking Buckets.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Allison**_

"**Learn from the Past**

**Live in the Present**

**Look to the Future" Maya Gurgeon**

**Kicking Buckets**

**Lalalalala Chapter 6 Lalalala**

"I'm pregnant!" Lily gushed to Hermione, making the brunette squeal and hug her tightly.

"That's great, Lily! Have you told James!" Hermione squealed. It was almost a year after Lily and James had been married. Hermione herself had been the Maid of Honor, letting Narcissa and Lily do her hair and makeup to perfection. She'd almost outshone the bride that day, if Sirius' expression had been any indication. Of course, he'd had a similar expression on his face during Lucius and Narcissa's wedding.

Ironically enough, Narcissa was now pregnant too. Hermione found the information amusing. Her best friend and her worst enemy were both growing inside of the stomachs of their mothers. Trevor, too, had married...and his wife was pregnant. She and Sirius were the only couple left to marry. Severus would be getting married in two months. Life was good.

Hermione smiled, content, as she watched James' chocolate eyes widen and drop to his wife's stomach, where his child resided. In the next moment, he was screaming for drinks on him while Narcissa and Lily both sipped water, smiling and talking with Hermione. Severus swept to Hermione and drew her into a tight hug, twirling her around.

"I'm going to be a father." He whispered in her ear when he pulled back. Hermione felt her eyes widening, a smile breaking out on her face as she witnessed the private happiness of the man that she so admired.

"Severus...I'm so happy for you." She rested her hands on his shoulders, smiling brightly. He flashed her a brilliant smile in return.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"But...Professor..." Draco dared interrupt. "You aren't married. Nor do you have a child..." He wished immediately by the whitening of that already pale face that he'd kept his mouth shut. He'd merely spoken what all of the students were thinking however, and he could sense their support at his back, enemies though some of them might be.

"No...I am not. And no...I do not." Severus said, his voice low. Lucius rested a hand on his shoulder lightly. Now that the shock had worn off on all of the Slytherins, they were acting much more...well, Slytheriny. Sirius had his head in Harry's lap as Snuffles, and the boy was stroking his head gently.

"Lily announced her pregnancy on Christmas." Lucius said camly. "When she was two months pregnant. Narcissa was Four Months pregnant. At the same time that Elisa, Severus' fiancee, told him that she too was pregnant. A month so, in fact." The students exchanged glances...a thrill of foreboding flying through them. "Severus and Elisa were to be married on Valentine's day...but on New Years..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"I'm glad we decided to do this, before we got too big." Narcissa said with a smile as she held Lucius' arm, walking along an icey sidewalk in New York on their way to Times Square. James and Sirius had dove into a tiny park, throwing snowballs at each other and laughing, their faces alight with glee. Hermione and Lily stood off to the side, barely able to contain their amusement. At times, they would cheer one or the other on, at times they would just laugh, their faces lighting up. Neither noticed Trevor snapping pictures like crazy of the two of them...their faces exact matches of each other's. They could have been twins, had their hair been the same length and color. They still looked like sisters.

When they finally finished their miniature scuffle, Sirius and James each pounced on the other's woman, kissing them lightly before stopping.

"Oops! Wrong girl!" James' eyes glittered into Maya's, and her laughter rang out as she gave him a playful shove.

"Go kiss your wife, you big goon!" She teased him before turning into Sirius' embrace. Sirius- who'd been trying to sneak up on her- stiffened in surprise before laughing and kissing her deeply.

"Come on, you lot!" Severus shouted from ahead where he had one arm around the small, blonde Elisa...who was peering with bright blue eyes out from under her blue stocking cap. She was dressed completely in blue, from her jeans to her turtle neck to her parka to her mittens. It suited her, and she suited Severus. Laughing, the four of them hurried to catch up, leaving Trevor and Makela- his wife- to follow when they finished their short snog. Hermione gave severus a short hug before beginning to look at the chocolates in a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory shop, grinning before hurrying inside, pulling out her purse to find some of her muggle money. Sirius yelped.

"Maya! Come on!" The other women, however, had spotted the chocolate. They all ran inside after Maya, who was laughing and picking out several bars of chocolate, paying for it before watching in amusement as Narcissa tried to figure out how to count the Muggle Money. She finally intervened, however, when the other woman started muttering about muggles under her breath. Plucking a twenty dollar bill from the other woman's hand, she handed it to the cashier.

"Sorry about that." She said with a grin. "We're tourists."

"Obviously." The cashier arched his eyebrow at them before counting back the change. As the women stepped back out of the store into the crisp December air, they laughed softly at the cashier's reaction. The stores all around them were beginning to close for the day, and they grinned as they each handed their husband/fiance a bar of chocolate and continued walking.

Catastrophe hit.

Maya was walking across a street with Sirius as the light turned yellow, and then red. She heard Elisa's shout and turned, watching as the shorter Muggleborn ran forward, shoving Severus onto the sidewalk as the bus that had been driving forward hit her dead on. Maya was well aware of Severus' anguished scream as James and Sirius, cursing, ran out into the street, holding up their hands to stop the traffic. Lucius ran out to check Elisa's pulse. When he found none, he let out a strangled noise. Like someone in a dream, Maya drew Severus into her arms, holding him as he sobbed into her chest, begging her to make everything alright, while Lily began a desperate round of Muggle CPR.

Later that night, once Severus had been given a dose of Dreamless Sleep Potion, Maya slipped out of his room into the warmth of the living room in the apartment that they were all sharing during their stay in America. She sat in Sirius' lap and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her securely as she closed her eyes in pain. She wasn't the only one mourning...Elisa had been a friend to all of them, and she would be sorely missed. The group of Nineteen-Year-Olds stared somberly at the ground, unable to find even the slightest urge to smile. Cheers erupted around them, signalling that the new year had begun.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Severus, I know you don't want to eat, but you MUST!" Maya said gently as she settled a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal in his lap. He glared up at her from where he lay in bed. "Severus...talk to me." His glare intensified, and the sneer that she'd come to know during her days as a student graced her face.

"Talk to you? You've no idea of the pain that I'm going through, **_Gurgeon_**." He drawled. Lucius, who was waiting just outside of the door to see if Maya could open Severus up once more, winced.

"I don't?" Was all she asked.

"You've never lost anyone in your **_life_**!" He hissed. "You have EVERYTHING! A loving fiancee, a passel of friends! What would you know about loss?" It was then that he finally calmed down enough to know what he was saying, taking in the too-pale face of the woman standing beside his bed and remembering the circumstances of her arrival at Hogwarts. "Maya...I'm...I'm...sorry."

"Are you rather finished being a selfish bastard?" She asked. He winced at the ice in her voice.

"Yes..." His voice was rather meek now, and she snatched up the spoon and shoved it into his hand.

"Good. Then eat before I sit down and force feed you." She snapped, crossing her arms. He winced again and forced himself to take a bite, swallowing hard. When she didn't leave his bedside, he sighed and resigned himself to forcing the meal down. Only when all of the oatmeal was gone did Maya snatch up the bowl and flounce out without a glance back. Lucius slipped into the room after she was gone, sighing.

"You shouldn't have said that." He said.

"I know..." Severus said, softly. "But Lucius...Elisa was my life! What am I going to do without her?"

"You will cling to the person whose presence is the only reason that we can stand the Gryffindors being around us." Lucius said, calmly. "Maya will be there for you every step of the way." He sighed at the bitter look that his fellow Slytherin was throwing him, standing up and walking to the door. "Think on it, Severus." He then walked out and closed the door behind him.

The next morning, Severus showed up at Breakfast. At a warning glance from Maya, nobody said anything. Narcissa simply set down the food and they began eating. There was a raw, cold edge to Severus that hadn't been there before, and all but Maya feared his temper, but he had chosen to live.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"That's horrible, Professor!" Ginny said, jumping up and impulsively hugging Severus. He stiffened for a long moment before awkwardly- and stiffly- patting her back as she rested her body against his to provide the comfort of touch. She then returned to her seat and the group of students looked at the adults, who were all sitting around in various states of rememberance.

"Mr. Malfoy...if you don't mind me asking...how did you all just waltz into the Burrow?" Harry asked, after a time.

Lucius seemed surprised by this line of questioning, before he chuckled lightly. Perhaps they did need a short break from the burden of sorrow brought on by Maya's story. "How indeed." He said, softly, looking into the distance, his eyes slightly unfocused. "That is an entirely different story...one that I am not averse to sharing." He allowed his signature smirk to grace his face as he thought his answer out.

"Molly and Arthur were close friends of Maya's." Remus finally said. "They met at a charity ball put together by the current Minister of Magic...Artimus Greene. Knowing that Hermione had been thrown into the past, they would have let Lucius in- albeit reluctantly- to help tell the story."

"Greene was a close friend of James' father, so James was asked to find the band to play. He chose Snake's Halo." Sirius said. "By this time, Lily, James, Remus, Peter, and I were Aurors...active in the fight against You Know Who. The ball was to help the victims of that war who could no longer afford to take care of themselves."

"I was into politics by then, so the choice was a good one in the Minister's eyes." Lucius said. "Severus was finishing up his apprenticeship to become a potions master, and Maya?"

"Maya had become an Auror as well." Severus stated. "She was single-handedly responsible for reaping havoc on You Know Who's forces. She caught Death-Eaters left and right."

"She was on the Dark Lord's 'most wanted' list for a long time." Trevor said. "I was working as a spy under He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and I was able to keep her one step ahead of him."

"And then...the prophesy was heard." Sirius said, quietly.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Albus...I know about the Prophesy." Maya said as she stepped into the Headmaster's office. The twenty-year-old was trim and fit from her Auror training. She was a good several months older than James and Lily, and slightly younger than Sirius, Lucius, and Severus. Draco would be born this week sometime, and Harry less than three weeks later. She fought the urge to cry...she was doing that a lot lately.

"Then you also know that James and Lily must go into hiding soon." Albus said.

Maya nodded once before turning and looking at the portraits on the wall for a long time. "Albus. Try to get them to let you be their secret keeper, if you can. Trust me...and do it." She then turned and walked out silently, leaving the Headmaster to ponder over the strange behavior of the young Auror.

Three days later, Maya was standing silently in the Maternity Wing at St. Mungos, watching in amusement with Sirius and Severus as Lucius paced along the length of the hallway. They'd sent Lily and James home to bed at ten...and it was now three. In the morning, that was. Suddenly, a baby's cry split the air and Lucius let out a shout. Nothing on earth could have kept him out of that room, and nobody tried. Maya smiled and sank into Sirius' lap, where he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Hermione did a quick math problem in her mind. "Next August." She said.

"What?" Sirius looked at her.

"Next August." She said. "Let's set the wedding date for next August."

"Oh my...are you serious!" He asked, standing up and dumping her out of his lap.

"That's your name..." She laughed, rubbing her bum as he helped her up. "So no...I'm not Sirius."

"You know what I mean..." He said, looking at her.

"Yes, Sirius. I am perfectly positive. I want to set the date for the wedding." She told him. He let out a shout and kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close to him.

"Miss Maya Gurgeon?" A mediwitch asked. Maya turned.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Mr and Mrs. Malfoy wish to see you." Maya kissed Sirius once more and walked quietly into the room within which Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco waited. She looked down at the couple and smiled.

"I'm so happy for you two."

"Maya..." Lucius began, looking to Narcissa who nodded. "You are my best friend...and...well..."

"Severus has already agreed to being Draco's Godfather, Maya." Narcissa said. "We would like you to be his Godmother."

Hermione forced herself not to burst out laughing at the irony. "I would love to, Lucius...Narcissa!" She let the tall blonde man sweep her into a tight hug, holding her close for a long moment.

"There are some forms that you need to sign, but you can do that in the morning. Now...what did I hear Sirius shout about?" Narcissa asked.

"We're setting a date. Next August." She said. Lucius gave a shout and swung her around.

"I'm a father and you're getting married!" He crowed. "This is the best night of my life!" Laughing, Hermione kissed his cheek.

"I'm going to go take my fiance home, before he passes out in the waiting room." She said, smiling and kissing their cheeks. "Goodnight, my little Godson." She whispered, kissing Draco's forehead. He cooed and stirred, looking up at her with wide blue eyes that would later turn to the endless gray eyes that she remembered. Smiling, she brushed her fingers across his cheek and slipped out.

Three weeks later, a similar scene took place when Lily and James asked Hermione and Sirius to be the godparents of their son, Harry.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Wait...what?" Draco yelped. Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked at each other, stunned. "Granger is my...GODMOTHER!"

"Yes, Draco. She is." Narcissa said softly.

"I...you said my Godmother died." He said, slowly.

"We are not sure." Lucius said.

"Not...not SURE!" Draco stuttered.

"Maybe we should let them finish the story." Harry said softly, also stunned by the realization. "There can't be much left..."

"Indeed not..." Remus said softly.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"Voldemort's after Lucius and Narcissa." Trevor spoke. It made the Order freeze in its tracks. Maya turned and looked at the couple, Draco in her arms. The infant and Maya had formed a bond...even when his own parents couldn't get him to sleep, she could. The fact that they all lived in one house, still, helped. Maya tended to babysit Harry and Draco a lot, playing with them on the floor. It was the only time that she was truly happy anymore...besides when she was close to Sirius.

That rarely happened, however, with the threat of Voldemort looming over everything.

"We will go into hiding immediately." Lucius said.

"Of course." Albus said. "Maya...?"

"I'll do it, Albus." She stood and handed the baby in her arms to his mother, hurrying out. It had begun. There was no going back from here. She travelled into the muggle world searching. After a good week of searching, she found a location that would be perfect for her work and cast the spell, silently accepting the burden of being the Malfoys' Secret Keeper.

When she walked into the mansion, she met Lucius' eyes and handed him a slip of paper. "Memorize it." She handed Narcissa and Draco each a slip of paper. Draco's had an instant memory charm on it. As soon as he'd seen it, she took the paper away and tossed it into the fire. Lucius and Narcissa followed suit immediately after they'd memorized the address. Hermione hugged them.

"Good luck. I will drop by once a week with supplies..." She whispered.

"Thank you, Maya..." Lucius whispered as he and Narcissa disapparated with Draco. Hermione stared at the spot where her best friend had disappeared before turning and moving to kiss Sirius, who wrapped her in his arms and held her.

"I'm frightened..." She confessed to her fiance. He bowed his head.

"I know. It'll be alright. I promise, Maya." He told her. She let herself believe him, just for a moment. Let herself be comforted by him. She knew better...it was all she could do not to run to Lily and James and beg them not to let Pudge be their Secret Keeper.

It wasn't long after that that Trevor came to Dumbledore with disturbing news. "There's a traitor on our side, sir." He told the Headmaster and Maya, who was standing there silently, her arms crossed. _You know the law...you know what you are risking..._ Dumbledore looked at her, but saw nothing. She'd become an expert at hiding what she knew. What she'd lived through before she'd appeared in the Great Hall three years before, unconscious, after a journey through time. She didn't seem surprised to learn of the traitor like she had the fact that Voldemort had set his sights in store for the Malfoys.

"He knows of a prophesy..." Trevor continued, quietly. "He's researched..." Maya leapt the Headmaster's desk and shoved Trevor behind the door of the office, tossing an invisibility cloak- hers, in fact- over him. Startled into silence, the Slytherin spy stared as James swept into the room moments later.

"Headmaster." James said, cordially. "Is Maya here?"

"Here, James." She stepped from the corner.

"The Longbottoms...they've been captured." James said. Maya blanched, drawing her want as she moved for the door.

"What can you hope to do?" Albus asked.

"I can give their child a tangible thing to visit." She said, walking out the door quickly. When she arrived at the Longbottom's home, Old Mrs. Longbottom was already there, holding Neville close.

"Miss Gurgeon...will you find them?" The old, dignified woman asked.

"I will try my best, Mrs. Longbottom." Maya said, casting a spell to find the magical auras. She sighed in resignation as she studied the auras that had cast magic lately. Finally recognizing one, she set a trace on the aura and closed her eyes, apparating blindly. She opened her eyes to see a group of deatheaters looking at her in shock and smirked.

"Well well, Black. You're about as subtle as an Elephant stampeding a safari campground." Maya said with a smirk. There was a wordless shriek of rage from one of the deatheaters, but Hermione was already casting non-verbal spells, stunning the deatheaters surrounding Frank and Alice- Alice who had been Alice Boron, Maya's dorm-mate- one-by-one until only Bellatrix was left.

"Gurgeon, you bitch." Bellatrix spat. "My name is Lestrange now. Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Well, unfortunately I'm busy right now." Maya said, walking to Alice and Frank. Frank had graduated the year before Maya's class, so she didn't know him as well as she knew Alice. But she knew them...and she knew Neville. That was enough for her. "Tell you what. Meet me at my mansion tomorrow night. We'll duel." She said, almost pleasantly.

"You're on, Gurgeon. If I win, you go back to where you came from and never show your face again."

"If I win, you'll spy on Voldemort for the Order." Hermione said, calmly.

"Deal." Bellatrix said, smirking darkly. With that, Hermione concentrated and apparated with both Frank and Alice's bodies, straight to St. Mungo's. The mediwitches and mediwizards seemed none too pleased to see her standing there, especially when they saw the two bodies with her. A deatheater had gotten off a spell towards Hermione, and her robes were singed slightly from it.

"Frank and Alice Longbottom." She told the mediwitch who asked. "They were kidnapped by deatheaters...I must go...there are things that need to be done." She disapparated , leaving the wounded aurors in the care of St. Mungos. She moved quickly into the mansion.

"Maya...where have you been?" Sirius asked.

"Nevermind that..." She said. "What are you guys doing tomorrow night?" She looked at the Marauders and Severus as she asked.

"James and I have to go into hiding." Lily said softly. "Voldemort has heard of a prophesy saying that Harry would defeat him...so he's going to be out to kill Harry."

Hermione felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. _You know the law...you know what you are risking..._ "Of course you must."

"Why?" Sirius said, suddenly suspicious.

"I have...an...engagement...tomorrow night that demands that I kick you all out of the house." She said, forcing a cheery smile. "It works, then, if you guys are going to be casting the spells to send Lily and James into hiding." _Don't use Peter. You know the law...you know what you are risking..._ "Severus can spend the night at Hogwarts...he starts teaching there next year, after all..." _Please...give me the strength to lose all that I hold dear. Again._

"Maya?" Severus asked, suspiciously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Severus. Don't concern yourself with it." She kissed his cheek and Sirius' lips. That night, as she lay in bed curled close to Sirius' chest, she knew with a cold certainty that this was the last time that he would hold her like this.

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

"That night, I returned from the meeting with Dumbledore to find that the front yard of the mansion was torn apart by spells." Sirius said. "As was the house. Bellatrix Lestrange bragged openly about killing Maya." He sighed softly.

"It broke us all apart." Narcissa said. "Sirius thought that we should have been there to protect Maya. He might have been right, on some levels."

"None of you could have known." Harry said, quietly.

"Yeah..." Draco said softly. "Maya was a powerful witch...you couldn't have known that she was going to fight Bellatrix."

"Nobody knows for sure what happened that night." Remus said. "I was gone on a date, Severus had been sent to Hogwarts...Pudge had run off to wherever."

"Maya disappeared without a trace. There was no blood, there was no body." Sirius finished. He sighed softly, standing. "Run along, kids. You have classes in the morning, and we need to get back to work."

"Indeed." Severus said, "Come along, Draco. Blaise." The two young students followed him out and down to the dungeons silently.

"Off you go, Ginny, Ron, Harry." Remus said, softly. The students filed out silently. Lucius sighed and donned his Aristocrat's mask, walking out silently with Narcissa. Sirius sighed and moved to the door, shifting into a dog and trotting towards the Great Hall. Remus silently walked down the hallway after the dog, his eyes sad with the remembered pain of that night.

The only ones who knew what had happened the night that Maya disappeared were Maya and Bellatrix, and neither one was talking. The werewolf sighed with weariness as he entered his quarters and fell into bed, closing his eyes. He could only imagine what Sirius would go through that night. He'd probably go back to the old boarded up mansion where they'd made their home for so long, slipping inside and crying himself to sleep on the bed that had once been his and Maya's. The war had ruined so many things for Sirius. And now...knowing that Maya could have prevented it...that she could have told them who the traitor was...

Remus wasn't entirely certain that, should the brunette woman with fiery eyes and a quick temper show up that night, he would welcome her warmly.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny fell into bed, thinking of what they had been told that night. Maya Gurgeon was Harry Potter's Godmother. He had parents, of a form, in his Godparents...and yet he'd never met his Godmother. Not once.

Draco was thinking similar thoughts as he stumbled into bed, remembering the witch that his father had loved so dearly. He couldn't imagine Granger liking Slytherins...but he didn't know Gurgeon. Granger and Gurgeon were, for all intents and purposes, two different people.

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, the twinkle in his eye petered out as he remembered somberly the young witch who had shown so much promise...whose bank account and records he kept on hand even now...holding them for her return. These thoughts were still predominant on his mind as the door to his office swung open slowly. Pale blue eyes widened as they rested upon the witch that stood there, her eyes bleak and cold, her long brown hair highlighted naturally with streaks of gold and an unnaturally dark tan dominating her flesh. She was wearing robes of a fine quality, stitched with an auror's insignia on her left shoulder. Her robes were severely singed, and the woman herself looked rather worn down.

"Albus." The voice was just as he remembered it. The ancient wizard stood with more speed than he might have thought possible, conjuring up a chair behind her just as she fell into it. He summoned a house elf for some tea and hurried forward. "How long has it been?" Not just as he remembered it, Albus realized with a sinking feeling. There were undertones of dispair there. This woman had lost everything. _Everything_. Twice. How horrible must it have been to lose it once, but twice?

"It is the beginning of Harry and Ron's seventh year." He forced his voice to be pleasant, watching as one of his favorite students closed her eyes in dispair, a tear slipping out.

"Have they..."

"They have been informed of everything that happened while you were gone." Albus hesitated. "Save for one night." He knew by the way the woman immediately stilled that she wasn't looking forward to the telling.

"Bellatrix Lestrange and I duelled. End of story." Maya Gurgeon said, her voice hard.

"Miss Granger, please." Albus said, softly. Blue eyes met brown for a long moment before the young woman sighed and sipped her tea.

"Very well. Sit down, for the telling is not one that I relish. And Albus..." When he looked at her, she was studying the tea in her hands. "It's Maya. It has been for the past three years, it cannot change now." When he was sitting, she looked up at him before turning her gaze to the tea in her hands. "What you must understand, Albus, is that to me, it is not sixteen years in the future. These events all happened no more than a half an hour ago, by my way of reckoning..."

**SCENEBREAKSCENEBREAKSCENEBREAK**

_Everyone had left for the day...whether of their own free will or because I ordered them to..._

Maya silently worked on the potion that would be essential in the duel. It was one whose formula she had developed through many hours of research, and it should counteract the effects of a time-turner. The formula was in her pocket to return home with her. When she'd finished the last step, she took the potion off of the fire to cool and, when it was suitably tempered, she filled the vial that she had for the occasion before vanishing the cauldron to the kitchen to be cleaned by the houselves and returned to the laboratory.

Glancing at her witch's watch, she saw that it was time to meet Albus at Diagon Alley for their weekly tea. Sighing, the young witch closed her eyes, concentrating, and disapparated.

When she arrived at the tiny café, she saw that the Headmaster was waiting for her. She moved through the crowd with an envelope in one hand, sealed with the crest that she had created herself to be her own personal seal. "Albus." She greeted him warmly.

"Maya. I can't thank you enough for saving Frank and Alice." He said softly, sitting down.

"I'm afraid I didn't do much saving, Albus." Maya said wryly. "Their son will never know their love, truly."

"But at least he will know them...and that is something for which he would be able to thank you." Maya cut off her protest.

_Harry crossed my mind at that moment...and I realized that you were right...I may not have been able to save Frank and Alice's minds, but at least Neville has someone to look to. At least he knows them._

_**You have come to terms with this, then?**_

_Albus...I haven't come to terms with anything as of yet. I'm still in shock from my duel...anyways, if you'll care to remember, I also gave you an envelope at this time..._

"Even so." She said, softly. Her voice remained low as she remembered her fellow Aurors before she seemed to literally shake herself. "Albus...I must ask you to do something for me."

"Yes?"

"Take this." She handed him the sealed envelope. "Do not open it until tomorrow evening. Promise me."

"I promise." He said, looking at her suspiciously.

"Don't worry, Albus. Inside is a letter that will explain everything." She smiled in a very subdued way. "Give this to Professor McGonagall..." She handed him another letter, this one slightly heavier. "She will know what to do with the contents."

"Will there be anything else?" Albus asked. Maya considered it.

"I don't believe so, Professor." She said softly. "Now, if you'll excuse me...I've a fair few things to do..."

"Of course. I will see you at the next Order meeting, Miss Gurgeon."

There was a long, unnatural pause. Albus could see clearly that these past three- nearly four- years had weighed heavily on the young woman. "I will see you then, Headmaster." With that, Maya disapparated.

Once back at home, she forced herself to go about business as usual, filling out the papers for her latest assignations. Though they weren't due to the office until the next week, she finished them all that day and slid them into an envelope, whistling for Sirius' owl, Barnaby. When the owl landed, she tied the envelope to his leg. "Auror Headquarters, Barnaby. Straight to Moody." She smiled fondly when she thought of her partner. "He'll know what to do with them." The owl hooted and gave her an affectionate nip with his beak before taking flight.

Maya had one more loose end to tie up. This would be the hardest of them all, really. Sighing, she sat down to write. The letter was long, and it was full of sorrow and regrets. It was also full of love. Into the envelope went her ring, and it was sealed with her crest and left on Sirius' pillow.

_**What did the letter say, Maya?**_

_As to that, Albus, I'm afraid you'll have to ask Sirius._

_**You wrote the letter...and then..?**_

_I waited. I knew that Bellatrix would come to me when she was ready for the duel to begin. I'd ordered everyone out of the house for the day, so I knew that there was no chance of being interrupted..._

_**Did she show up?**_

_What do you think?_

It was nearing dark by the time Bellatrix walked into the yard. Maya was waiting. "Hello, Lestrange." A strange music began to play from the house...Maya had accidentally hit a wizard's record player...and one of the new tracks that Lucius and Hermione had worked on began.

"Gurgeon." Bellatrix greeted coldly, lifting her wand. "Stupefy!"

"Protego!" Maya was ready. The attic was set up for her last stand, and the house was set up to provide a series of retreats and stands. She could kill Bellatrix...but Dumbledore's voice rang in her head...as usual. _You know the law...you know what you are risking..._ "Expelliarmus!"

"Protego! Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted.

Maya felt the searing pain rush through her veins as she fell to her knees, squinting through the white hot light searing at the back of her eyes. "Sectumsempra!" Immediately Bellatrix let out a scream as blood gushed from the wounds opened by the spell. She lifted her wand to defend, but saw that her quarry was gone, the door to the mansion still swinging. A voice began to sing from within.

(Note: The bold is Maya's singing...the Italics are what Hermione is whispering to Dumbledore in the Future as she's telling the story...so imagine her voice in monotonous inflections where the italics are. The song is Tourniquet by Evanescence, for those of you who want to listen to it while you're reading this.)

**I tried to kill the pain...**

**But only brought more **_So much more_

**I lay dying**

**And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal**

**I'm dying **_dying_

**Praying **_praying_

**Bleeding **_bleeding_

**And screaming**

**Am I too lost to be saved?**

**Am I too lost?**

**My god, my Tourniquet**

**Return to me salvation**

**My god, my Tourniquet**

**Return to me salvation**

Bellatrix growled and followed the Auror into the house after a few quick healing spells that every duellist knew. She cast protego the moment she stepped in the door. It was a good thing, too, for there was an expelliarmus moving straight for her. "Crucio!" She tried, again, to catch the Auror in the spell. Maya had other ideas, it seemed, and she dove behind a chair, which exploded. The young Auror dove behind a sofa.

"Impedimenta!" She stood, shouting the spell. Bellatrix dove into the kitchen as the spell passed through the door and exploded the kitchen table. "Equanome!" Hermione shouted. The doorway exploded, leaving a pile of debris that the Slytherin would have to dig through. Maya turned, running for the stairs.

**Do you remember me?**

**Lost for so long**

**Will you be on the other side?**

**Will you forget me?**

**I'm dying **_dying_

**Praying **_praying_

**Bleeding **_bleeding_

**And screaming**

**Am I too lost to be saved?**

**Am I too lost?**

**My god, my Tourniquet**

**Return to me salvation**

**My god, my Tourniquet**

**Return to me salvation**

"Bombardo!" Bellatrix snarled, emerging into the Living Room amidst a shower of dust and debris. She ran for the stairs after the retreating robes of the Gryffindor. "Incendio!" Maya cried out as she threw herself to the stairs, feeling the fireball singe her robes. Standing up, she doused the flames at the top of the stairs and turned to look down. "Serpensortia!" The snakes flew out of her wand and began to attack Bellatrix.

_Return to me Salvation..._

"Impedimenta!" The snakes died one by one, and Bellatrix continued up the stairs as they evened out into a hall, with more stairs at the end of the hall. Maya was already on her way up the second set of stairs. Bellatrix followed, shouting hexes...Maya easily countered each one. Those that she didn't counter went wild anyways.

_I want to die..._

**My god, my Tourniquet**

**Return to me salvation**

When Bellatrix arrived at the top of the stairs, she saw a wide, large attic that had obviously been cleared for this final battle. She smirked. Of course she would oblige the Gryffindor.

**My god, my Tourniquet**

"Avada Kedavra!" She roared. Maya jumped behind a piece of furniture, which exploded.

**Return to me salvation**

"Crucio!" Bella was engulfed by the pain, dimly aware that someone was screaming and that that someone was her as she fought through the pain and narrowed her eyes.

**My wounds cry for the grave**

"Impedimenta!"

**My soul cries for deliverance**

"Protego!"

**Will I be denied?**

"Crucio!" Maya's screams filled the attic. Bella watched as the Gryffindor reached out and grabbed a potion, chugging it.

**Christ- Tourniquet...**

The Slytherin knew she had to act before the potion took effect. "Avada Kedavra!" The flash of green filled the room...and when it disappeared, so had Maya Gurgeon.

**...my suicide...**

_**END**_

_**(Due to the rules of the site, the following has been tacked onto the end of this chapter from the last post. My apologies to the admin, but it is a necessary post, to get in the disclaimers to the proper artists of the songs that I used in my fic)**_

_**Dearest Readers:**_

**_WHELP! THAT'S IT! THAT'S ALL! No, seriously. You think I'm kidding? Kicking Buckets, as far as the first installment goes, is finished. Don't look so surprised. You know how much I enjoy leaving you with cliff-hangers. So, as promised, here is the list of songs and artists. It may not be completely accurate, because there are one or two CD's that I used that I may not know off of the top of my head. Sorry about this ahead of time_**

_**Disclaimer: The following songs are not mine. They are various works by various artists who I happen to enjoy listening to. They appear in- more or less- chronological order through the story.**_

**Chapter One:**

**What Happened To Us? – Hoobastank (The Reason)**

**Unaffected – Hoobastank (The Reason)**

**Holding Out for a Hero – Frou Frou (The Shrek 2 Soundtrack)**

**Are We the Waiting – Greenday (American Idiot)**

**Extraordinary Girl – Greenday (American Idiot)**

**Disappear – Hoobastank (The Reason)**

**She's a Rebel – Greenday (American Idiot)**

**Bring Me to Life – Evanescence (Fallen)**

**Chapter Three:**

**You love me Face to Face – Alabama **_(THIS is the one that I'm not 100 positive about...The title, I mean. I'm certain that Alabama sings it, however.)_

**Accidentally in Love – Counting Crows (The Shrek 2 Soundtrack)**

**I'm on my Way – Rich Price (The Shrek 2 Soundtrack)**

**Holding Out for a Hero – Jennifer Saunders (The Shrek 2 Soundtrack)**

**Truly Madly Deeply – Savage Garden (Savage Garden)**

**Chapter Four:**

**Hit me with your Best Shot – Pat Benatar****(Pat Benatar: 14 Greatest Hits)**

**Chapter Five:**

**Heartbreaker – Pat Benatar (Pat Benatar: 14 Greatest Hits)**

**Kiss From a Rose – Seal (I don't have this album...the song is on my comp)**

**You Give Love a Bad Name – Bon Jovi (Greatest Hits)**

**Whisper – Evanescence (Fallen)**

**Chapter Six:**

**Tourniquet – Evanescence (Fallen)**

**All of the songs were wonderful, I had a delightful time writing out the actions and imagining Maya's dances.**

**_You can prompt me into posting the next installment of this series by reviewing en-masse to this post. Yes. If you read this post, this is your call to review. ALL of you, review. I don't care if you sit there and whine the entire time about how this isn't a chapter and you don't want me to stop here. The story- such as it is- ends there. It honestly, truly ends the moment that Hermione- or Maya- finishes telling the last of her own story...just as it began with a tiny prelude explaining exactly how she came to be in the past._**

_**For those of you who want to know why she travels through time so much, and in so many complicated ways, I answer you this: She does so, because- to be frank- I wrote it that way. There are a certain number of liberties that each author may choose to take with a particular plot-line. In this story, this is the plot-line I chose. Yes, this is a fun read. I myself have gone back and re-read it many times. I did so before it was posted, and I will continue to do so now that it is finished. It was never meant to be anything more than a fun little ficlet that I wrote to 1. Teach myself to write longer chapters, enabling my readers to gain more information faster. 2. Pass the time. And 3. Hopefully give you guys a bit of something to read in the bargain.**_

_**Now, I will not force you to listen to my meaningless- and likely unheeded- drivel. All I have to say is this...review, and you shall have your sequel. If not...well, not every story has a happy ending, after all. I finished the third book in a trilogy just the other day and it left me weeping and cursing both the author and one of the main characters for being foolishly heroic and getting himself killed. And now, Fair Readers, I leave you.**_

_**Yours,**_

_**Allison**_


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